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There is a new report online today regarding the possibility of David Yates returning to direct Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Children’s author Lois Lowry has updated her blog with an entry regarding Mr. Yates who she had hoped would be directing the film version of her book “The Giver,” but has now declined in order to helm movie seven in the Harry Potter series. Lois Lowry writes:

“David Yates, the director currently working on the next Harry Potter film, was supposed to begin The Giver film next. But he has just decided he wants to do the final Harry Potter first, thereby postponing The Giver by several years.

As reported previously, David Yates is working on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince which is currently in production in London, England, and has been one of the many names previously rumored to direct the final Harry Potter movie. Readers will also recall that we recently heard from producers David Barron and David Heyman who said that a few directors were under consideration for the job, and that we would hear more on the status of a director and a possibility of a two- part Deathly Hallows film soon. As exciting as this news is, please consider this a rumor until we receive confirmation from Warner Brothers.

Thanks very much Dani!

284 Responses to David Yates to Direct “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows?”

says:

I can only hope this is true.

says:

Cool! I hope that this rumor is true. I like his version of the fifth film :)

says:

Hmm..That’s interesting..(first?)

says:

They should get a new director. Even if Yates did a good job with #5, they should keep the series fresh!

says:

I hope Yates does it, I like his Style.

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I also would’ve preferred a fresh face on the whole thing, but I can’t really complain after “Order of the Phoenix.” :)

says:

I’ve said it before and I say it again … the director should be either Alfonso Cuaron or Tim Burton. They fit with all the darkness of Deathly Hallows.
And I think the movie shouldn’t be a two parts. It should be like LOTR The return of the king which lasted 3 and a half hours … I mean who wouldn’t like a 3 and a half hours long Harry Potter movie? I know I’d do

says:

I get the impression that the directors of each film were given the option to stay on, so this wouldn’t be a big surprise, but he has done a good job in general with OotP, so I think it would keep most HP fans happy.

says:

I definitely wouldn’t mind David Yates directing the seventh and final film. His work on the Order of the Phoenix was more than satisfactory and I can easily see him delivering well on the next two films as well.

I can’t wait to receive word from Warner Brothers on this.

says:

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!

says:

Well of course David Yates is going to direct DH! WB wouldn’t want anyone else and he’d be insane to turn down that sort of opportunity.

On a side note, I LOVE the giver and can’t believe they’re making a film out of it!

says:

Haha, sounds like Lowry let the cat out of the bag :p This makes sense though, Yates is the safest choice.

says:

I’m okay with Yates directing it, as long as they BRING BACK Kreacher and DOBBY!

Dear Leaky, please start a HBP countdown (275 days)

says:

Ok, let’s set up a fund to bribe Curaron back for the final film. Who’s with me?

says:

I’d love a two-part DH released separately six months apart, but a special DVD version edited together to be a single film.

That might mean shooting certain scenes at the start of part 2 twice: once for the theatrical two-part release (where watching the second part needs a BIT of setup) and once for a seamless version that just continues right from where part 1 ends… more DVDs for me to buy yay.

says:

I vote for a 4 hour Deathly Hallows film…

says:

(punches air) YES.

...Please?

says:

Ok, that’s fine, JUST ASLONG AS HE DOESN’T MISS ANYTHING OUT AND THAT IT’S 7 HOURS LONG!!! And NO changing things, Yates! I mean it!

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@Natalie: It’s the screen play writer who cuts things out of the story.

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They’re adapting “The Giver” to film? Be still, my heart!

says:

I think Yates is a good director but I did not like how he closed the Order of the Phoenix. I thought it was abrupt and meaningless. Other than that I enjoyed the film immensely. I hope that on the next two films he keeps that in mind.

says:

Noooooooooooo! Saffron I’m totally with you.

Crap. I don’t want the seventh movie to be less than a friggin hour. Boooo. Get someone new pleeeaaaase.

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@Jan: The ending of the film was written by the screenwriter not the director.

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Caracticus, I agree. However, I also wouldn’t mind a 3 hour long verson.

As for Yates, I’ll be content is this is true. It makes sense to finish out the series. It would also explain why Dan Radcliffe adimantly said Spielberg would not direct the final film. My only problem with OotP was the editing decisions. Hopefully that will improve in HBP. If they choose to extend DH, we shouldn’t run into that problem (hopefully).

says:

Cuaron or bust!! Yates made Ootp boring IMO, it was the most bland HP movie so far. It could have been SO much more amazing, and should have been 30 minutes longer without question. Because it was his debut feature he was bullied into making a shorter film to get more screenings in (this is my opinion). Directors with a bigger sway like Cuaron and Newell could do more what they liked.

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I really didn’t find anything directorially astounding about OotP. While it was an appreciable improvement over the previous films., I attribute that much more to Michael Goldenberg than to Yates. Nothing wrong with Yates, nor particularly amazing about Goldenberg come to that. I think anyone who didn’t decide to replace perfectly good sections of dialogue or minor plot points with creations of their own aspiring mind would be an improvement over Steve Kloves. With him slated for the last two movies, I’ve essentially given up hope on the franchise.

Minor quibbles regarding the headline:
If we’re going to use quotations around the title (an altogether questionable practice) we should at least move the question mark to outside of those. The novel isn’t, after all titled with a question.

says:

“They should get a new director. Even if Yates did a good job with #5, they should keep the series fresh!”

I agree.

I like getting new directors. Each time the series has a new take and each film feels very much to be their own work, rather than just another iteration of the same thing. It’s very refreshing. I was pleased when Yates came on to do 6, but 7 is so different I think a new directorial voice should take it on. Why oh why couldn’t it have been del Toro?

says:

oh, and FGK, your quibble is with the AP style guide, not with Leaky. Not that I take issue with you quibbling with the AP. As someone with an MA in English, I’m right with you. But good luck getting them to listen. ;-)

NO,no please!!I hope this rumor proves to be mistaken….come on guys!!Who wants this hugely important film to be handed over to someone with almost zero experience??OotP was ok for a film but undenyably slow with abrupt sequences.And I am sure he doesn’t have that many ideas about the way he will approach the series.All his ideas will be used up by the time he takes DH into his hands.WB should be looking for a director with experience,able not only to make a faithful adaptation but also to create an original artistic movie….what new ideas will David Yates have to offer after all these years?I can guess why they are doing this,it is surely more economical for WB to hire this kind of a director.But WB can also summon the bigest names in the industry,hasn’t the Harry Potter series earned this?I am seriously upset about this!!I had faith in WB and Heymann to make DH the best of all the hp films….I guess they are just not taking the film as seriously as I expected them to take it.

says:

Alas.

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@herpo: I would imagine a person who spends more time with the franchise will have a better understanding of what to do for the next installment. And actually, how can he have close to zero experience, he’s directed a very successful Harry Potter film, wouldn’t a new director be much closer to zero experience? Just because Yates did a lot of TV work doesn’t mean he’s an amateur. Yes, because you thinking Yates is a bad choice means they aren’t taking it seriously.

says:

Oh…WTF? Frankly, I’d say the verdict is still out on who screwed up the fifth film more, Yates or Goldenberg. Hopefully Kloves + Yates will be a better team. Why in the heck are they sticking with the bargain basement TV director in favor of someone with a bit more vision and experience anyway? It’s not like they can’t afford someone better.

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DrakeHallowsWeasley is gonna love this one!! LMAO

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@ Emelye
‘Kloves + Yates ‘

Kloves added a scene that doesn’t excist in the book..

at least Goldenberg only added Nigel, not a whole new scene involving the burrow burning down and Bella, other DE and Greyback attacking Harry etc.!!

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ohh man i hope not. the fifth movie is by far my least favorite of the lot. it felt very lacking in more ways then one. i’m fearful for the sixth movie(since i loved the book) and i think i will banged my head to the wall if this rumor turns out true.

i think either two movies for the seventh book with two different directors, or make a long movie, i mean think about each LOTR movie was at least 3 hours long and people sat through it very nicely(i haven’t heard any bad comments about it’s length) what’s so wrong about doing it for the 5th(since if they would have done that i do think i would have been more content with the movie- so much was lacking :-/) and 7th movie. i think about 3 to 3.5 hours will do the trick.

just if some one who is in charge read’s this(like the producers or JK please two movies by yates is more then i can take)
BTW don’t all take me wrong i think yates is a good director i had the chance of seeing one of his movies a while ago. however i think that regarding the harry potter world he is in way over his head.

says:

in the end its- just in case….

says:

Darn, he’d have been great for directing The Giver (I just recently re-read it and it is by far one of the best books I’ve ever read)!! I’m so excited for that to become a film; I hope they begin it in black and white, then change to color once Jonas starts to see colors!

But I think since he’s the only director who’s actually read the books entirely, he knows what the book fans need to see. :) I’d be happy to see him direct the final one.

says:

Indeed a very good decision, for a change.

From the early beginning, I was utterly dissatisfied with changes that happened on the director position in the Harry Potter movies. Although I thoroughly respect all four directors that have so far been chosen for the mission of directing, I thought that for the series’ sake, one director should have been selected to direct all seven movies and create one whole plot, such as the case with Rowling â€“ ahem, ahem â€“ and the books.

says:

He gets to ruin the 5th, 6th and now the 7th?

I hear Tim Burton is a very good director. whistles

says:

Few thoughts:

1. It always made sense to me that the director of the 6th is best suited to be director of the 7th (despite the fact he also did 5).

2. The director has some sway in the decision to do 2 movies or 1. I hope the fact that Yates has done two already when he takes up 7 means he is still willing to do two parts. They can be filmed at the same time (as thats the logical thing to do)

3. I think hes a great director, though there is a little bit of me that wishes the 7th film had a fresh director…I’ll see how I feel after watching HBP

says:

well I’ll be happy if that’s true. I’m happy with Yates or Cuaron.

But please can we have a 4 hour film (as one film with interval), so that we don’t have to see too many cuts or rushing from scene to scene?

says:

Excellent news – now someone lock Steve Kloves in a well stocked cupboard for the next couple of years and get Michael Goldenberg to write the screenplay!

says:

another plus of Yates is that he does a good job with the acting and the actors seem to like working with him. That’s a major plus in my view.

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Jason, I just want to let you know that actually the director has most of the say in what gets cut and what doesn’t. My dad is a producer, and though not for anything even nearly as big as HP, I’ve been to a lot of movie sets and seen how things tend to work behind the scenes. If the director doesn’t like the way something sounds or ends, they usually have the right to change it. They can also request certain scenes to be written to specifically fit the director’s vision. Like in the third movie, I can guarantee that the writer didn’t write in the talking heads, but that they were added at Alfonso’s request. I hate when people blame the writer for things, when the director is the one who put it in the finished movie 99% of the time. Of course it could be different for the HP movies… but I doubt it.

So anyways, I’d be very happy if Yates returned, I think he did the best job by far condensing the longest book into the best movie. People who still want Alfonso to return need to look at the facts, the 3rd movie made almost 100 MILLION dollars less than the second least-grossing HP film. I don’t know about anyone else, but 100 million dollars is A LOT of money. People blamed the length of the book, and again the writer, for all the cuts that he made, but since the writer was the same for the first four movies, and since the actors were for the most part, the same, then the only thing that changed was the director. So I think the decrease in profit should weigh 100% on the director, and he should not be allowed to return. If you watch the behind the scenes interviews, he seems way too full of himself… which is enough of a reason for me to not want him back.

Congrats David Yates if this is true!!

says:

I think Yates did a good job. I finally felt that there was real acting in the scenes rather than a bunch of type-cast people playing themselves (with some exceptions of course). In spite of the short length, Michael Goldenberg did a GREAT job staying true to text rather than changing which characters delivered lines and adding in a bunch of crap that wasn’t in the story. I also like how he incorporated plot points like Neville’s parents into the script when the overall scene had to be cut.

I did think OotP would have been difficult to follow if one was not familiar with the books and it’s shortened length didn’t really give me the feeling of the drawn out torture and angst felt by Harry throughout the book.

says:

I really, really, really hope this is just a rumor!!! Or it would be three movies screwed…........

says:

I hope WB waits to see what HBP looks like before giving the DH reins to Yates. OoTP was a decent film but extremly underacheived in the screenwirting and the finished product imo. it was very disappointing after all the build-up to it and the only HP film I feel about this way. The acting and cinematography was great but that was about it.

says:

I can only hope that this is true. After helming two films, WB obviously has faith in him and his abilities. He loves this story and gives it the spirit that it needs to survive as a respectable medium of the books. :)

says:

While this is still very much a rumor, given that it came from Lois Lowry and that “The Giver” has been planned and delayed for quite some time, it adds some credibility to it. Would I say this is official confirmation that Yates is doing Deathly Hallows? No, but keep in mind, he could stay on as a producer if he left the directorship.

says:

I cannot say that I am entirely pleased with this news. I do not regard him as a good director, though I am supportive of those who may disagree with me. I merely think that we should find a director who puts more artistic flair into his work for the last installment. I would love to see Alfonso Cuaron come back, or G. Del Toro (although his involvement with the Harry Potter movies was only a rumor). If you’ve ever seen Pan’s Labyrinth, with which both Cuaron and Del Toro where both involved, in my opinion it screams Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. David Yates, in my opinion, did not do the Order of the Phoenix justice, and instead might’ve confused those who do not read the books. I should hope that a more qualified, artistic director will direct the Deathly Hallows, instead of David Yates.

says:

Seriously, No.

I hope they are still undecided – OOTP was good b/c it was a HP film but I can honestly say that as things began to get more serious (in the series) Alfonso Cuaron did the best job as director. I just don’t think DY is the right choice, period.

Sorry!

says:

oh my…’The Giver’ as a movie better be perfect. It is my favorite book of all time, and Lois Lowry is a gift to the authoring gods. All of her books are amazing and among her start were the Anastasia Krumpnik books…mmm, a story about a young girl growing up…sounds similar to a start of someone else I love and was a gift to those same gods.

says:

IMO the worst HP film was GOF. It was chopped up and if you didnt read the books you had no idea what was going on, and they cut important stuff out of it! I had a horrible time watching it in theaters just because I was the only one in the group of people who went together and they kept asking me “what the heck is going on?”, “Who is that?”, What does he mean I can touch you now?”.

Besided the fact that I agree OOTP should have been a half hour to an hour longer, I think Yates did a decent job. We’ll see now after he had his experience with OOTP how HBP will come out. As long as DH is long and nothing is cut out from the book, they can tie up loose ends that they’ve lost in previous movies, and done in a way that someone outside of reading the books can understand whats going on, Im all for Yates to direct it.

Tim Burton is a fantastic director and I agree he would do a great job if he had the opportunity to do DH but hopefully they dont come to a final decision until after HBP is complete.

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I wouldn’t mind if Yates stays but…....I want Alfonso Cauron!!!! And to all those who are against Kloves-I think he’s great…come on….Goldenberg…he ruined the story!!! Harry/ Cho relationship-completely different from the book!

back to director…Yates is ok. but I feel sorry for all film fans that didn’t read the book. They couldn’t get it! Film is brilliant but so different from the book. I want Alfonso!

but who ever will be…we’re going to see the film because we love the story!!!! THANK YOU J.K.ROWLING. GO ALFONSO!

O YEAH…p.s. I want 2-parts DH film. But in the same time!!!! maybe second film one week after first film!

The gasp that comes with big news escaped my mouth before I saw that freakin’ question mark.

Even so…I think it would be amazing if Yates directed again! More importantly, though, I want Goldberg back to write.

says:

That is great news if it turns out to be true- which is most likely going to be- he said he was keen to complete it. I love what he did with OOTP and it sounds awsome what he is doing with HBP so I think if he stays with it we will be in for a great DH movie – especially if it is two films back to back. hardly any cutting.

says:

I do hope that this is true. Even if some things were left out, I thought that OotP was closer to the book than the 3rd and 4th movies.

says:

I liked OotP, but I also think it’d be nice to see a new face. Yates was very good at directing OotP imo – and it isn’t his fault if the movie was too short. But I’d like to see someone new, or maybe Alfonso again? I like PoA a lot too. But it would be interesting to see someone else and how he(/she) would handle DH.

Hopefully whoever gets this job will do it a good job – and that’s basically what’s most important.

says:

Ok, letâ€™s set up a fund to bribe Curaron back for the final film. Whoâ€™s with me?
Posted by Saffron on February 19, 2008 @ 01:59 PM

More like start a fund to keep him out. I watch POA again recently and I just donâ€™t see what so many see that is great in this film. There acting is not good- The worst scene is when Hermione grabs Ronâ€™s hand (thatâ€™s not the bad part) and then gives him that weird look and head shake. What was that about? So much was cute from the plot to add artist imagery that was not even good, the castle is so dirty looking it looks like the house elves were on strike from cleaning it. The shrunken heads are just stupid. Herminie and Ronâ€™s hair is just awful. I would take Ronâ€™s hair from GOF (which is bad too) over that look he has in POA. Hermione looks like a homeless person with flat greasy looking hair. Harry was the only one that looked decent. Finally, didnâ€™t POA make the least amount of money? I t think WB will want to go out with a bang not a fizzle.
I hope they confirm Yates or any other director besides Curaron so I can be happy that Curaron will not be able to destroy any other HP Movies.

says:

I’m very happy to hear that Yates might be continuing with the final installment of HP. I liked how he handled the length of the 5th book (which was my favorite until Deathly Hallows came out), and that we didn’t have to listen to Harry yelling constantly at everyone. While it worked in the book, I think it would have been annoying to watch on screen.

ally, thanks for your comments about the role that the director and the writer play in what we eventually see in the movie. I was most dismayed by the changes that Cuaron made and throroughly agree with you that he came across as very full of himself in the interviews. It made me even more irritated with the talking heads and the lengthened Knight Bus scene and the near omission of where Harry got his new broom (something that my non Harry Potter reading husband totally missed, btw).

And that brings up another point. It’s easy enough for me to fill in the missing parts of the book, because I’ve read them so much. But for those who haven’t, the movie really has to stand on its own merits. The first two did, simply because they were very faithful to the books. The third movie had parts that were very good and parts that were horribly changed. The fourth was OK from that point of view, but it was the one that my hubby didn’t particularly like. So much so, that when the fifth movie came out he wasn’t interested in seeing it in the theater. He finally watched the DVD and liked it, even to the point that he let me explain a few of the missing parts. (With POA and GOF, he just didn’t care.)

Now, not to say that he’s any movie expert. Far from it. But he is likely more representative of the average movie goer who isn’t an expert on the books. When WB or any studio does their marketing, they can be pretty sure of those who are already fans. So it seems to me that they are trying to reach those who aren’t. And that’s where people who don’t read the books fit in. They need to be able to follow the story, based solely on the movie. For the most part, Yates did that with Order of the Phoenix, and much better than Cuaron did with POA, I might add.

At one time, I found transcripts of the first three movies on line. It was interesting to read through and see what had been written by Kloves and left out by the director. POA had the most omissions of scenes or of things that were changed (like who said what lines, which is always a sore spot with many of us). I don’t know if those are still available, but if you can find them, it’s worth the read.

says:

Sorry for the double post, but Nigel was added in my Kloves and Newell. We first see him in Goblet of Fire. Didn’t someone say that he was a replacement for the kid who played Colin because he wasn’t available?

says:

“More like start a fund to keep him out. I watch POA again recently and I just donâ€™t see what so many see that is great in this film. There acting is not good- The worst scene is when Hermione grabs Ronâ€™s hand (thatâ€™s not the bad part) and then gives him that weird look and head shake. What was that about? So much was cute from the plot to add artist imagery that was not even good, the castle is so dirty looking it looks like the house elves were on strike from cleaning it. The shrunken heads are just stupid. Herminie and Ronâ€™s hair is just awful. I would take Ronâ€™s hair from GOF (which is bad too) over that look he has in POA. Hermione looks like a homeless person with flat greasy looking hair. Harry was the only one that looked decent. Finally, didnâ€™t POA make the least amount of money? I t think WB will want to go out with a bang not a fizzle. I hope they confirm Yates or any other director besides Curaron so I can be happy that Curaron will not be able to destroy any other HP Movies”

You care about really stupid things.

says:

Hmmm, He’s a good director, but I wonder if he can do epic. OOTP was very subtile en HBP is aparently going to be more of a romantic comedy (with a dark twist). But can he do the epic stuff, that is needed for DH?
I know he won’t screw up, but I’m not sure of he would make it what it could be.

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@paper: what a rude comment…

says:

I’m sorry, but I’m not a fan of David Yates. OotP was one of my least favorite movies in the series, only next to POA. I thought he left too much out and twisted things too much. Things could have been portrayed a lot better than they were, and I was disappointed. So if he is directing DH, that is a real let down for me and many others I know.

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I don’t care who they get, but the fact remains they’ve yet to get a director who can tell a story, and not just paste scenes together and hope for the best. I’d like Cuaron to return because his was the story that felt a bit more polished than the other five.

says:

I knew it. I just had a feeling he would stay on. I think the cast will be happy.

I don’t really care anymore who directs as long as it is either split into 2 parts or over 3 hours long.

The final movie can not be a 2 hour hack job.

says:

YAY!

...maybe..

...hopefully!

says:

Ooh, some overopinionated people here are getting me really angry with there comments (relax Redbeard, relax.)

says:

Well I guess Cauron can direct “The Giver”! I would have preferred a new director too but I am happy with David Yates who directed the best instalment of the series (which ironically was the weakest book – but still a cracking good book). Every film has been a joy to watch in their own way so I have full faith in the producer eventual choices.

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I’m with you “Paper”

Azkaban and OOTP are my favourite of the films, so I don’t mind. I really really wanted Guillermo Del Toro, but as we can’t have him…..
Both directors showed some flare and imagination but they scuppered some of the exposition that wouldn’t have taken two minutes to insert (IE more of the prophecy, who sent the Dementors, etc). It’s not always the writers fault of course…
But structurally OOTP had a better script than the previous four, what with nice montage sequences and that newspaper stuff (though I doubt the montage was done by writer seeing as the full scenes with Umbridge are on the DVD). And it had more interesting dialogue, and didn’t have Hermione screaming “I’m not an OWL!!!!”. Just wish they could tame her eyebrows :) And move Dan’s some more :)

says:

I like the style of David Yates. But i don’t think it is the best style for a Harry Potter movie, especially the final Potter book!
I think that Cauron would do a better job… But that is my opinion

says:

I love Yates- Really, I do.

But I want someone different. It’ll be difficult to pick someone, because it’s the last one and it needs to be done right, but I think they should keep it fresh.

Then again, there are worse people who could be on board.

says:

True, true, true. Please let this be true! Oh gosh, I loved David’s work in OotP, so him in DH would be perfect. Oh P L E A S E let this be true. :)

says:

If this turns out to be true, then I think the film version of DH will be in good hands—we’ll see the return of Umbridge… probably. But should that happen, Yates should SERIOUSLY consider bringing John Williams back to score the film. I know Yates and Hooper love working with each other, but while I enjoyed Hooper’s score for OOTP I felt that it was underscored and didn’t give the film the emotional impact it deserved.

Not to mention Hooper did say that Williams is a far better composer than he, and considering that Williams wants to finish the film series… Hooper might graciously step aside to let Williams give the series the sendoff it deserves—musically, anyway.

says:

ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!! I like his style! PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE let it be true!!!!!

I don’t believe that it could be in better hands!

says:

Please, say it isn’t so. OOTP was my least favorite movie and I worry what he is doing to HBP. Nothing personal against him, I just don’t think he was a good fit for the HP movies. I had been hoping that they would do DH justice, since it is the end of the series. I am still hoping for a very long movie or a two part movie. If Yates is the director, I will not have any grandiose notions for the final film.

WOW! This is disappointing to say the least.

says:

YESSSS! Now if they’d jut get rid of Kloves and bring back Goldenberg…

“Excellent news â€“ now someone lock Steve Kloves in a well stocked cupboard for the next couple of years and get Michael Goldenberg to write the screenplay!”

Good idea, Marauding Don lol. Have an extra cupboard you don’t use much? I’ll help!

says:

This is great news!! He’s the best best director out of all the people who’ve helmed a HP movie. And he did it with hardley any previous experience.

says:

I really liked “Order” and I am looking foward to “Prince”, but I do think that would be way too much David Yates in the “Harry Potter movie universe”.
I do understand, however, that bringing someone new to the franchise for the last movie would be very dangerous, but it would keep the series fresh up to the end.
And if they were to bring someone back, I wish it would be either Alfonso CuarÃ³n or Mike Newel.
CuarÃ³n is my favorite,.I have to admit it. He would be a master at giving heart to the final installment of the series. He is a wonderful director, focussed on the characters, their dillemas, hopes and the way they find to display love, which is exactly what ” Hallows ” is about.
Mr. Newel did such a great job with “Goblet ”, I have no doubt in my mind he would do even better this time. It suffices to say that Voldemort’s character was much better displayed in the fourth film than in the fifth one ( He seemed more human and believeable ).
I do admire Yates’ work profoundly ( “Girl in the Cafe” is one of my favorite films ), but I also believe, very firmily, that it’s time for a change.
I just ask them one thing. Don’t bring Chris Columbus back. That would murder the series in its final chapter.

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If the rumor is true, then I’m not surprised at all. It’s okay by me if he directs the film. PoA left out too much that was important (IMHO) and GoF seemed “choppy” and I was left with an incomplete feeling with that one also. Like everybody else, I hope that DH will be a nice long movie with hardly anything cut! :D

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NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! It’s bad enough they let him do 2 films (OoTP was obviously my least favorite, although still good, film in the series)! If I got my way Chris Columbus would be back to close off the series properly (I’m probably in the minority though).

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Oh gosh, I hope that this rumor turns out to be true! As soon as I put down “Deathly Hallows” that first weekend, I kept thinking, ‘WOW, Yates really got the mood right on OOTP…. I hope he directs this one too!.’

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I think Tim Burton would make an excellent new choice, but as long as there’s no more baboon moves like OoTP (longest book, shortest movie!?) I’m down with any of the directors of the previous films. For nostalgia, Chris Columbus. For dark effect and emphasis, Alfonso. I also agree that hte film should be in 2 parts and like, 7 hours long. You can’t screw with the end of the story.

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NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

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I must add… I sure hope that they bring back Goldenberg for the DH script. Kloves did a wonderful job with the first few, but as the books get bigger, the scripts feel more forced. I won’t complain if he stays though.

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Yates is an adequate choice but someone like Del Toro or Terry Gilliam would have been much more exciting… which is what the last film in the series should be, right?

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Please no….
He absolutely butchered OotP.
If he’s doing it, why don’t they just get somebody who does 30 second commercials on T.V. Or do the whole 7 book series as a 1/2 hour sit com.

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I sure hope not, the fifth one wasn’t that great to be honest. And about this nonsense about NOT changing anything, you obviously have no idea of the art of cinema, film is just different than book, and themes must be presented differently, I mean I found that the previous films were just simply adaptations, not “works of art” or visionary/cinematic achievements, with maybe some good directors like Alfonso, but were not given enough creative freedom. I mean look at the film Beowulf, the changes it made from the book were crucial to the effect of the film. Although Beowulf is much older and much more vague than Harry Potter, Directors NEED vision, not just adaptive ability. I’ve only seen the 5th film once (in theatres), but from what I remember of I really didn’t like it, I mean I liked that it was darker, but the pacing was strange, the changes from the book didn’t seem to do anything, and it felt almost childish and postmodern, I think Guillermo would do the best job, but Alfonso would be good as well, although I really think they should get a brand new director to do it (as in different from the previous ones) I was not really impressed by any of the films, so pedestrian! Gilliam would do a good job, a wierd and strange one, but good, although his creative talent would be severely limited by the bureacratic hollywood producers.

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Cauron would be far more well suited to “The Giver” than HP. He could make a BEAUTIFUL “Giver” movie, but he makes a heinous HP movie.

I’m content with Yates, although I still want Whedon.

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Well, crap. I really really really hope this isn’t true. Don’t get me wrong, I like Yates just fine and thought he did a decent enough job with OotP, but I think it would get really stale if he did 3 movies in a row. After CC doing the first 2 movies, I like that they’ve been switching it up each movie. I was a bit disappointed that Yates was coming back to do HBP but I thought hey, what the hell, let him have his fun. But DH too, now? Please no!!! I want the final movie to get a fresh director or, in my wildest dreams, CUARON! :D

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On another note, The Giver is one of my favourite books ever and I am thrilled/nervous to hear that it will be made into a film. I think David Yates would do lovely work with it (the source material seems suited to his sensibilities) and he should go for it :)

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Just as I thought, Yates believe’s he is going to direct 7. I can understand the arguement that he directed the last two, he may aswell finish the series. Also I did like OotP, but, I really dislike Yates attitude to certain plot points like the Horcrux in the Black house. He even wanted to cut Kreacher out, it wasn’t till Jo pointed out to him that he is important in 7, then he put him back in. Also Yates strikes me as the type of director who doesn’t want to go over 2 hours.

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As much as I’m pulling for a few other directors, I’m really fine with Yates directing if Warner is willing to do two films, or simply do a Return of the King and make a three-and-a-half long hour film.

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They should get Alfonso Cuaron again :P,or maybe try really hard to get Guillermo Del Toro

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i have a bad feeling about this, that’s all i can say. AND i think cuaron should do the giver since he probably wouldn’t be doing DH.

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As long as it’s not Alfonso Cuaron!

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A two part film? That is the only good point on that rumor. I will be looking forward to it.

Let us wait snd see…

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From what I have heard is being cut from movie 6 and all the other changes being made to this movie, I think that having this hack direct the last movie would be a huge, and I do mean HUGE mistake. He has no feeling or heart for the books at all. I really feeling now like we have been betrayed by both WB and JK for allowing this idiot to direct anything after the mess he made of #5. I am very, very sad about this news.

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I find this distressing. Yates took one of my favorites of the series and made by far the worst of the series. Ootp ws a horrible film and leaves a whole in my DVD collection because I refuse to spend money on it.

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I am on the fence about this. OoTP was my favorite book before DH and is still tied. I have up and down days watching it, I get annoyed at how much was left out and how choppy it is, but I do think Yates got the best performances out of the actors. I think he will do a good job with HBP (my least favorite of the books, I know I am in the minority on that one!), but I just don’t know about DH.

One of the reasons I think he will be good for HBP is because I see it as pretty easy to condense, so I am not worried about the length of the film too much. He gave a pretty revealing interview during OoTP filming in which he stated flat out that he did not believe ANY movie needed to be over 2 hours long. That worried me for OoTP, for good reason as it turned out, as that needed at least another 1/2 hour, and terrifies me for DH. It could possibly be good news for those who want a two part movie, as we might get a bit more from two 2-hour movies than one 2-3 hour movie, but the fact that he goes into movie making with that preconceived notion of overall length is just worrying. HP cannot be condensed that way without losing valuable and important material.

As far as the “freshness” factor, I am in the minority there, as well. I would have preferred one great director for the whole franchise because of the lack of continuity in the films. One cohesive vision, as Jo had for the books, would have served better, IMO. It may be nitpicky, but even little things like the difference in the way the dementors look from POA versus OoTP (MUCH better in POA, I don’t know why they changed them, they just look silly and completely fake in OoTP) are irritating. If they couldn’t have Colin Creevey, they should have just written around him and preserved his character for a later film when he might have been available instead of inventing Nigel. Things like that. sigh

I would bet that the fact that the actors seem to really like working with Yates is also a factor in this, if it turns out to be true.

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Of course he’s directing. They just need to announce it. They also need to announce that DH is going to be two films.

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zomg there gonna make THE GIVER into a movie?? David Yates would awesome at directing that Dan would be a sweeeeeeet Jonas… but i guess, if he likes HP so much, maybe…idk really long as Kreacher and Dobby are back and they call Tonks Dora…lol =)

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Isnt it a liitle odd that OOTP, the longest HP book, was the shortest movie??? actually no it’s not a little odd it’s ridiculous!!
The movie was destined to suck being that short… it was so chopped up and messy it just didn’t make any logical sense!!!
The only reason why millions of people around the world went to watch it is b/c people just wanted to see a damn HP movie it had been such a long time. It had almost been a year and a little more than 8 months. It looked so good on the previews but it was a damn mess on screen.
It was all Yates-Goldenburg’s fault… they just don’t know how to make hp movies the way they should be, plain and simple. The script and the editing sucked and the music was worse. I mean what the hell do you call that? The music sounded stupid and childish and it didn’t fit with any of the emotion of the scenes. The Composer who made the score for the 1st, 2nd, and especially the 3rd should most definetly come back( I think his name was John Williams). The music was awesome in the third movie it fit with all of the emotion… HBP and DH are the saddest of the hp books they deserve to have the amount of emotional impact they did in the books as well as on screen.
Guys, we should start some petition, survey or something to make it so the final HP movie is the best b/c this is all we have left and i want to walk out that movie crying because it was touching not b/c it sucked!!!!
PLEASE!!!!!!!

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Please let this be true!
And that’s all I have to say about this matter.

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I like Yates and his stile. It would be great to have him back, they all would have much more time together and this will be good for 6 and 7.

I really hope to have an 4 hours DH (and an extended version to five hours of all seven movies)

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Damn.

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I dont think that OOTP was a bad movie in fact i think it was the best but yet again im one of those people who think the movies just keep getting better and better and the more i watch OOTP the more i love it. of course when i first saw the movie i thought it went really fast then i saw it again and loved it even more (as i said earlier) and ive heard some of the things that there doing with Quiditch in the sixth movie and im thrilled with what is coming and if David Yates does the last movie i think it will be exelent!!! i like the countdown idea!!

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no E.K. your not alone on that I completely agree that they get better with every installment- me and many others on this site have tried to explain to the “OOTP is the worst movie” haters that , that book took alot of twists and turns in the plot they had no choice but to slim it down to just the crucial info, that was needed. Yes Dobby and the locket could’ve been added but Jo looks at that and all the scripts as we know so if she didnt approve then she would’ve said. And as my idol Alan Rickman said very nobaly ” making a movie is not about just one person but it invloves a HUGE team of people”
so therefore I dont think there is one person to blame for things we dont like about the movies.

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NO! Please no…I love David really…but…AHH…The Giver is SOOO much better suited to him, THATS what he should be doing…come on! He would make the giver brilliant!

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huh?NO!
i thought it will be spielberg…
haistt!!!huhuhu
or maybe tim burton will be better,

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NO NO NO NO!! I wanted Alfonso Cuaron to direct the seventh movie. Azkaban was by far the best film of the series (I’ll admit they changed the characters a little two much…Ron and Hermione, anybody? ) but still, he did such a marvelous job. And he really got good performances out of the trio.

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I’m doing a complete happy dance right now.

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omg r u people deluded, the fifth film was the worst one of the bunch, it didnt connect with the audience and people who didnt read the book found it hard to follow!!!! PLEASE DO NOT BRING BACK YATES!!! besides his already done it twice(2nd time im hoping not as a bad as the first, i mean Ron had no lines!!! and i loves HBP). i vote for peter jackson or alfonso cuaron and the film should totally be 4 hours long, i’d sit through and watch it!!!!

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NO2YATES-
even if ron didn’t have a ton of lines, they were the most cannon lines yet.

I wish they would have the writer from OoTP come back.
he put so many lines from the books in.

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deathly hallows should not be split. IM WITH THE PERSON THAT SAYD A FOUR HOUR HARRY POTTER FILM WOULD BE A TREAT!!!
that would be awesome…

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@NO2YATES- just because we dont agree with you that OOTP was the worst doesnt mean we are delusional. We just like to look at this realistically- kind of like the new cast members who also get butchered every time we hear of a new one. I think based on what I know of how the world works we all need to remember ,including myself that we all percieve these films differently and we never have say so- besides if you are a true HP fan you will love the movie anyway. I have never seen any changes to the movies that have totally ruined the book to the point where they should be condemed all bad.

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Bleh, I’m not happy about this, but can’t really say I’m surprised, 7 will be a though nut to direct, so no wonder no one else is exactly eager to step in.

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Idunno..at first I though OOTP was the best flm of alll time, but it gets old after watching it a couple of times and I start to miss some things they had cut out… te performances are the best yet, but I wished he had put more flow into the movie. Well, I can’t say that I don’t want him on the last one, cuz he might do a better job on HBP, bt i’m not sure. The only HP film I had personally fell deeply in love with was prizoner of azkaban, cuz it had unexpected touches in it, so I wasn’t like “oh yea I know exactly what happens the next second…yawn“

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Like most Leaky fans, I am much more a fan of the books than of the films. But other than GOF, I enjoyed watching the films. I particularly liked POA and OOTP and would be happy if David Yates finishes the series.

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that’s exactly how i felt too, weseley person and that’s why they should bring cuaron back. When i watched OOTP, i knew actually what was happening next and it made it kind of boring verus when i watch POA, it was more of a different experience from the book. I too loved prisoner of azkaban, i’m just so disappointed that other people don’t like it as well so Warner Brother wouldn’t risk bring him back. Hopefully, i might be wrong on that.

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They are saving hundreds of kids at my school grief. My English teacher has this thing with showing movie adaptions of books with our novel studies, and guess what book she has us do? ...

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Actually, meek, you’d be surprised as to the number of people who consider Azkaban the best in the series, there are quite a lot of us. Critics have loved it too, I think it still remains the most critically acclaimed HP film today. So you shouldn’t be too disappointed, but take pride in your good taste. :)

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NOOOO!!! I know alot people like his work and so do I but I think it would bring the whole series together if Columbus came back for the seventh one. Starting with his version and ideas of the story then to tie EVERYTHING up in the same fashion would be amazing. Does anyone agree with me.

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Agreed with Saffron. Now where’s that petetion?
CUARON FOR DH!!!!!!! CUARON FOR DH!!!!!!! CUARON FOR DH!!!!!!! CUARON FOR DH!!!!!!! CUARON FOR DH!!!!!!! CUARON FOR DH!!!!!!! CUARON FOR DH!!!!!!! CUARON FOR DH!!!!!!! CUARON FOR DH!!!!!!! CUARON FOR DH!!!!!!! CUARON FOR DH!!!!!!! CUARON FOR DH!!!!!!! CUARON FOR DH!!!!!!! CUARON FOR DH!!!!!!! CUARON FOR DH!!!!!!! CUARON FOR DH!!!!!!! CUARON FOR DH!!!!!!! CUARON FOR DH!!!!!!! CUARON FOR DH!!!!!!! CUARON FOR DH!!!!!!!

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Cuaron for DH! If not Cuaron, then Del Toro. If not Del Toro, then Yates. If not Yates, then Peter Jackson. If not Peter Jackson, then Tim Burton. If not Tim Burton, I have no idea who would direct DH. >.<

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YES!! This is the word I was hoping for I really want Yates to stay and keep the last 3 movies one fluid style. He did an excellent job in Order of the Phoenix and Half Blood Prince is his real test but i think he can do it. I don’t mean to be mean, Lowry is an good author but her blog is very boring. I don’t want 2 Deathly Hallows films, then you’ll have one heavily action packed and one slightly slow. Just pack it into a lotr style 3 hour movie, it can be perfectly fitted in that format. I want 7 movies not 8

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YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES AND YES AGAIN

although it sort of depends on how good book 6 is…
but im sure it will be amazing

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I don’t know about this…honestly, I’d like to see another director take on Deathly Hallows just to mix things up. I thought OOTP was one of the better movies so far, but DH can’t be one of the better ones. I WANT IT TO BE THE BEST, and I don’t think Yates can deliver that.

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I just want a 4 hour or longer DH movie so we can include everything. If they cut out Molly’s line, I’ll kill David Heyman!!!!! Why can’t JKR write the script? She could do FABULOUS on that! Hey….maybe Jo could direct! Or maybe the guy who directed the JKR documentary could direct DH…... but seriously, I just want a 4 hour long+, Cuaron or Del Toro directed, JKR scripted, perfect blockbuster extravaganzapalooza of a kick-arse movie thing.

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I definitely agree about Cuaron—he would be FANTASTIC with DH, there’s no doubt about it. Unfortunately, I’m pretty sure Warner Bros doesn’t think people will come to see a movie that’s four hours long…just goes to show how little they understand Harry Potter fans.

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JKR should write the script!!!!!!

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we have already heard that Del Toro and Speilberg are out so I think that if anyone does it – it will be Yates, Cuaron or Columbus. And according to this it most likely is Yates which most dont have a complaint from the sound of it. Cuaron had a similar style to Yates so either would be fine. Columbus did the most by the book but he had the two shortest ones we need to remember and Yates had the LONGEST book – people remember that!

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BellaSnape is right. But Del Toro deserves a chance.

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Yates does a couple of things well. He has a good line in poignance but he doesn’t come anywhere near epic. I’m sure he’d do an excellent job with other material, but DH needs someone who can hit more than one note. Newell showed that he could do it, but he’s taken.

If Yates does DH it will be the same team he brought in – same composer, same inept editor and same dreary FX. The film series will go out with a whimper, not a bang, and unlike the books will be quickly forgotten.

I can’t understand why Heyday Films would aim so low, unless Dave Heyman is so bored by the series that he wants to leave it on autopilot while he pursues other projects. Dave Heyman also seems to think that Yates did a good job, but in fact OoTP was the worst reviewed of the series. Look for a big box office dip when HBP comes out.

And if 2 parts – it’s going to absolutely awful. Harry Potter Goes Camping, followed by Harry Potter Goes Camping Again. With tons of filler by Steve Kloves. Coming to a mostly empty theater near you.

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I’m on the fence on this one. The majority of my objections to OotP have to do with the directing style…but I also think David Yates has learned a huge amount about directing feature films (as opposed to TV), and I expect HBP to show it. He HAS to insist on a longer film (or two films), and he HAS to smooth out the choppy nature of his direction. But he does indeed get fine performances out of the actors, and seems more interested than any other HP director in truly understanding the material. That he was willing to listen closely to canon expert Evanna Lynch on set speaks volumes.

I don’t expect some of the things I liked best about OotP to make it into HBP, though: the more canonical Ron will be once again sacrificed by Kloves to the altar of SuperHermione. I really, really doubt Kloves will “get” Luna, either (although he may bite off more than he can chew tangling with Evanna over that!). The screenplay could be even more of a disaster in DH.

I think Yates is an excellent choice. Though OoTP was shorter by like ten WHOLE minutes than the other movies (I didn’t feel like it was short to be honest), I thought it got the mood of the story spot on. The thing that bugs me the most is the people who are writing how they want Cuaron back because they think Yates left out too much, when PoA was so confusing and dragged on in some spots and skipped so much, whereas OoTP hit all the major plot points. I mean the knight bus scene dragged on for like over 5 mins and they couldn’t have a 3 min conversation explaining that Harry’s dad wrote the marauder’s map! I also thought the acting was the worst on that film. Harry was too whiney, the whole scene in the shrieking shack seemed like they were reading their lines off their hands!

I also want to say that I’ve made my parents watch all the HP movies with me, and the only ones they understood were the first 2 and then the 5th, which they actually liked! Neither one liked the third one. Come on, I can NOT forgive him for the talking heads, all time worst mistake ever! Unforgivable!! It also made the least amount of money from any of the other HP movies by like 100 million dollars or something insane. So I’m happy with Yates if it means Cuaron isn’t coming back!

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”@Natalie: Itâ€™s the screen play writer who cuts things out of the story.”
Posted by Jason

Actually it is a collaborative effort, with the director, screen-writer, executive producer and sometimes even the actors having a say as to what changes may be made in the book-to-film translation.

As for a Yates three-peat—GO FOR IT!!!!!!

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I really hope Yates is back for the 7th. I really liked how he did it in the 5th. I also want the 7th in two parts. I mean, if they do it in 1, it’ll be like 4 hours long. Nobody’ll buy!

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Yates has publicly said he doesn’t like making movies that are more than 1hr 48min. If he’s directing DH, I fear for the quality of the film.

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NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It can’t be true…................

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I like your icon Vandy. Alan Rickman is awesome in Sweeney Todd.
Anyway, how about JKR writes the script? That would be freakin’ incredible! She’d keep everything in (that she thinks will work on-screen) and that means no more SuperHermy (who I’m fond of, frankly.)

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I honestly don’t know who I blame more, Yates or the editor for OoP, but I tend to blame them both since the director is always editing with the editor. Oop was choppy, plain and virtually storyless compared to the book. I’m sorry but to the person who said GoF was choppy and hard to understand, even though PoA was my fave, at least GoF had artistic direction.

They’ve kept the same group of set people all along but in Oop someone (I’m assuming Yates) stifled their abilities greatly. There were loads of fabulous things to articulate in GoF, and they were done well, but in OoP there was more, and what they did do was CGI, small and just plain below what should be expected from a HP film.

I mean where was this elaborate and busy Ministry? Where were the million fireplaces, why did they just have like 5? Talk about taking something that is supposed to be huge and intimidating and make it look like a small lobby that leads to a giant black hole for the fight and a bunch of similar looking black holes for the other rooms.

I am already less-than-enthused about Yates doing HBP, just based on OoP. Him doing the rest? sigh

He just seems to take an entirely human approach to HP, at least when Alfonso’s story was dark he used human emotion coupled with an amazing magical and creative visual world. As did the rest of the directors up until OoP, which was not nearly as creative or magical as it was trying to make you feel suspense and trying to make sure you mourn Sirius. However, if he’d just created the thick magical world that’s in the book and had more encounters with Sirius and Harry, as in the book, and had things edited more smoothly, we would have been sad at the death scene. Yates’ Sirius death scene just left me going, what the ** was that?

I am so scared about what he’ll do for Albus’ death! Will it be an awkward slow motion slapstick comedy style prat-fall too? Cause that’s what Siruis’ death scene reminded me of.

This all makes me so sad.

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HELL NO! ARRG I HATE HIM AS A DIRECTOR! CHRIS COLUMBUS OR SOME OTHER PERSON! OH PLEASE NO! NO NO NO!

IT WOULD RUIN THE MOVIES BEYOND REPAIR!

I WILL STOP WATCHING IF HE DOES!

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I hope someone reading this can whisper in a J K Rowling Ear…. Please consider Kevin Sullivan for film 7. He is famed for Anne of Green Gables interpretation…. high caliber the book deserves.

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I find it quite amusing how now all of a sudden people seem to care about the movie audience that doesn’t read the book…when in the past they cared more about getting what they wanted.

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I just had to read The Giver for the first time in my Children’s Lit class (I’m working on my teaching degree) and I loved it and the whole time I was thinking, ‘this would make an awesome movie.’ lol. I’d be glad to see Yates finish out the series. He’s a great director with great visions. I like what he did with OOTP.

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Meh. I was really hoping they’d bring either Cuaron back, or a whole new director … I mean, it kinda makes sense that he’s doing 7, but IDK, I wanted someone else. I just hope he doesn’t decide to rush this one too … I enjoyed OotP, but I still say it was too rushed at some points.

Bottom line, I’m ok with him, but I really wanted someone else. :/

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I agree with Saffron and Facundo, the Director of the Deathly Hallows has to be someone like Alfonso Cuaron, the book is very dark and the movie needs a Director to show that. Josh Whedon (I hope I spelled his name currectly) who Directed the TV show Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer would be a great choice as well.

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It’s JOSS Whedon, and he is first and foremost a writer, I don’t think he’d helm something that wasn’t of his own creation. He wrote and created both Buffy and Angel, as well as his other show Firefly (the show that preceeded the movie Serenity). He has a wit about him that is genius, but perhaps quite different from Buffy and Angel in my opinion.

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I mean his wit is quite different than Jk’s and the Harry Potter Universe, that is what I meant to say.

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Why do people keep saying PoA was dark? It wasn’t dark, it was dusty, and annoyingly so.

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PoA is dark compared to its predecessors, the first two books, it’s the first time Harry’s world falls apart a bunch of times in one period of his life.

Compared to the latter books, no, it’s not really, but we attatch to that story because it’s the first one where both in the book and in the movie there is a real physical threat to worry about. In the first two you’re worrying about what a spirit-thingy is doing. PoA is grim by comparison because he thinks a real person is coming to kill him.

What do you mean by “dusty”?

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Also the PoA MOVIE is called dark mainly because stylistically compared to PS, CS and GOF, it physically IS darker, in tone and in visual effects. Lots of night scenes, mild violence, monsters… OoP of course is darker in appearance visually, but not nearly as fun visually.

Hence all of the quibbling.

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I don’t care what anybody says, I am THRILLED to know that Yates is coming back for DH (assuming this doesn’t turn out to be a false rumor, of course). OotP was wonderful, by far the best of the films.

As for Cuaron… ugh, no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no and NO! ANYONE but Cuaron. He took the best of the books, and turned it into the worst of the movies. Powers That Be: Keep Cuaron out of the HP directing chair at all costs. That is all.

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maybe the fact that some of you didnt like OOTP is a good thing that means that they interpreted the book the right way there was to be no magic and it sounds like that is what people didnt like that is didnt have much whim and aww to it. but remember it is the book where the ministry tries to ban kids doing magic so they had to dumb it down. Dont know if any of you read my post earlier but I’ll repeat his quote. my idol Alan Rickman said ” the making of movies is not just about one person but a huge team of people” so do you really think that if something was missing it is all one persons fault- yes I know that the director is the all high and mighty one but Jo does look at the scripts.

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Accio Pint! said: “I really, really doubt Kloves will â€œgetâ€ Luna, either (although he may bite off more than he can chew tangling with Evanna over that!).”

I’m not sure why Kloves or anyone else would need to “get” Luna, at least not in HBP. Her part in that book is very small, only mildly entertaining, and very very very dispensable. I know it’s practically sacrilege in some parts of the fandom to say anything about Luna that is not grovelingly adoring of her… but she just ain’t important in HBP. In fact, her role could be completely written out of the movie, and it wouldn’t make one bit of difference to the plot. Even her role at the end, during the battle when the Death Eaters got into Hogwarts, was very superflous, very unnecessary; it consisted mostly of following Hermione around and doing… not much of anything. She was sort of useless, really.

Contrary to what some may infer from the paragraph above, I love Luna; I think she’s wonderful, and cute as a button. But for heaven’s sake, her hardcore fans seem to think that EVERYTHING is about Luna, Luna, Luna. And it isn’t. She’s a second-tier character in the overall series, and in HBP she’s not even that high up, as she’s more a third-tier character in that book.

Repeat after me Luna fans: NOT EVERY SINGLE THING TO DO WITH HP IS ABOUT LUNA LOVEGOOD. Make it your mantra, Luna fans.

Whew, it felt good to get that off my chest. Been wanting to say that for ages.

says:

I just want to add this in. Being in the business I’d like to remind everyone of something since they all seem to be ready to jump down David Yates’s throat for the things that aren’t in the films.

David Yates has no control over any of these things. He’s handed a script that he must go by. The writing staff has control over what is and is not in the film. JK Rowling, and the other individuals who work on the script decide what does, and what does not, go into the script. They pick through the books and decide what is and is not completely and totally essential to further the story along. Yates shoots what he is given, makes changes based solely on how he wants to shoot it. He doesn’t get the authority to change the script.

He also doesn’t get the final say as to what stays and what ends up on the cutting room floor. That is the authority of the Executive Producers and the editors. These people are highly skilled and know what they are doing when it comes to this business. Iâ€™m an editor myself. You make several copies. You have your own version of what you would like to see. Then you have to make a directorâ€™s cut. And then you have to make a Producerâ€™s cut. If the producerâ€™s donâ€™t like something in the directorâ€™s cut guess what? Itâ€™s gone. In a corporation like WB the director doesnâ€™t get as much say as weâ€™d all like to think he does. I know we would all like to put the blame on David Yates because heâ€™s the one in the foreground right now and itâ€™s easy to blame him, but frankly, heâ€™s the last person to blame. Heâ€™s done a wonderful job doing his job. He made those kids better actors and told the story to his greatest ability. I personally love OOTP. I loved the book and was so excited when the movie came out, making sure I could leave work for an extra long lunch to see it on the day the film came out. I know that we all feel we know better because it is Harry Potter but these people are skilled, work very hard, and have been doing this for many, many years.

We must trust them. After all, if they weren’t good at their job we wouldn’t be so heated about this.

And finally, the bottom line is, if you donâ€™t like the fact that it could possibly be Yates, if you donâ€™t like what he did with OOTP, donâ€™t see Half Blood Prince, and donâ€™t see Deathly Hallows. Personally, I like Yates, I like seeing what he brings to the fold. I like the adaptations period. I love Harry Potter and Iâ€™m sticking by no matter what. So rock on David Yates. One day Iâ€™d like to shake your hand.

says:

That would be great! David Heyman is true to the characters and the spirit of the stories, bring it on!

says:

GOD I HOPE THIS RUMOUR IS FALSE!!!!! HE MASSACRED HP: OotP!!!!

Please get someone else!!!! PLEASE!!!!!

says:

Great post, beckett. I agree that it’s really unfair to vilify one person for all the things we dislike about a movie (and I say that as someone who’s been guilty of it myself, having blamed Cuaron for how deeply I hated PoA… although I do think his direction was a large part of what I didn’t like about it, to be honest, LOL… still, it certainly wasn’t all his fault).

Personally, I’m really happy that it looks like Yates will be directing DH. Truly, I am rather shocked by all the disparaging remarks made about him here. Maybe it’s just the areas of the fandom in which I hang out, but everywhere else, it seems that Potter fans have loved and embraced OotP in a way they haven’t done with any of the other films. It generally seems to be considered far superior to the others, and most people seem to want Yates back for the last film. It’s really only here in the comments at Leaky that I see people hating on Yates. But again, maybe it’s just the areas of fandom I hang out in…

says:

yeah i definitely hated the 5th film not even comparing it to the book, just as a movie alone. it was really choppy and there was a bad flow to it, they should have added like 30 more minutes to fill in the gaps, or even fifteen. IDK he took too much liberty with it also. thats just my opinion.

says:

well not hate but just it wasn’t the best they could do

says:

Of all the HP movies, I thought the 5th was the most bland of the series. It felt like a really long trailer than a movie. It just didn’t flow for me at all. Left me utterly unsatisfied. I just hope he does a lot better for HBP.

says:

Oh yes! I so hope this is proven to be true.

says:

I like Yates, I did think OotP was choppy and too much had been left out but parts of it, particually the action scenes, were great. I agree with Beckett, lets not insult Yates because in all honesty most of us have no idea about directing and everything that involves. No movie can be exactly like the book, they are two completely different mediums.

says:

beckett is quite correct – I’m sure that the director does not have as much power as it might appear. However, having said that, OoTP – whoever was repsonsible – left out things that made it absolutely necessary to have read the book to understand what was really going on. One case in point, as Snape is my fave character, I was very disappointed to see that it was not shown that Snape alerted the order about Sirius – that’s critical to know, as far as I’m concerned.

Anyway, we should all be asking that everyone involved, regardless of who directs, should strive more toward making things more coherent – yes, of course it’s a monumental task to condense a book into a 2 hour movie, but if your going to include something, have it make sense!

(And I guess the boys are going to have that dorky chopped short hair forever – whoever decided on that & why??? I for one loved their hair in the GOF – and I don’t think I’m alone from what I’ve read on many forums. JMO, but as I’ve said before, to me, wizards in a magical fantasy world should have long hair – imagine DD or Lucius with crew cuts!!! Oh well – at least my beloved Snape’s hair is a little longer in HBP – as long as they leave that alone! As some of us posted in another thread, we want Snape’s hair even longer!!! LOL) All kidding aside, as much as I love all of the movies, it did sort of ruin it for me when I saw what Harry & the other boys looked like in OoTP – it just somehow took away some of the magic. I’m sure others disagree or don’t care how they look, but that’s just how I feel – I wish there was some way to get a petition going about that! LOL.

says:

I’m sad… He’s ok, but we need someone who can really pull of the dark side of DH. I want someone new!!!

says:

This is very exciting news. Order was by far the finest film adaption of the series thus far and despite being the shortest movie based on the longest book, it was consistent, sensible, and most importantly simultaneously faithful to the source material AND appropriately cinematic for a film – a feat the two previous movies before it failed awfully.

Now bring back in Michael Goldenberg again as well!

says:

Okay, You’re David Yates and you have a Choice between “Deathly Hallows” and â€œThe Giverâ€. What would you do?

About the choice of director by the producers, I would just sat that they could do worse.

I hope that Alfonso Cuaron is actually in the running to helm DH 1 & 2. I think that his film was best, even if he did take a few liberties.

says:

No this is REALLY GOOD. if there is a new director taking the last movie, they could be terrible for all we know, and then the final movie would be terrible. so at least we know that David Yates knows what he is doing, hes fantastic. so im happy

says:

JK ROWLING actually liked the OOTP-movie best. I think that alone makes it wrong to say that Yates butchered the hp-franchise.

says:

I’m sorry for him but I will prefer if it was Spielberg who makes Harry Potter 7

says:

Yates is fine as a director but, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, use a different writer. OotP was a fiasco as I’ve stated before. Directing was great and the movie as a whole, was fantastic. That is, if you look overlook the tumultuos fact that so much was cut from the story line. The last movie should be bigger, better, darker and by far as close to DH book as reasonably achievable. JK did a genious with DH. The movie should be genious too!

says:

O.M.F.G… PLEASE LET THIS RUMOUR BE ABSOLUTELY, 500% FALSE!!!

DON’T LET THIS HIDEOUS HACK RUIN ANOTHER HP FILM!!!!!

says:

@ Beckett and Redbeard- thank you- you both made enlightening comments that are very true and I think some of us should not be so arrogant, I just think that in this kind of movie business when you have ANY book to movie adapt you need to be really open minded. The authors of the books have even said that it is impossible to included everything a book does because books can take your mind places that movies cant.

says:

Yates.. Mmmm.
Ottp is the one movie i like least. Stuff in the wrong order and all. But mainly, the excessive use of special effect during the ministry scene. Hell, since when apparition involve black and white smoke ?? Since when do they keep their time apparition along when fighting ??
If i were to chose one of the previous director, it would be curaon.

says:

Artistically speaking, I would prefer Cuaron back. But there are so many things involved in the making of a film ( not the least being money ) that I don’t just rely on my feelings, and if you take some distance, you can’ t deny that there are improvements in all the HP films( sometimes about acting; sometimes about the mood of the book being well captured… ) andthat they are all great even if we all have our little preference.
And don’ t forget, the books will always be better in many ways than the films!

says:

I hope not! I think OOTP was the worst of all the films. Did everyone else miss the interview with Yates when he said he wanted to make the shortest film possible..??..not the best film possible out of the longest book. OOTP was choppy at best. I’ve had to explain parts of it to people who don’t read the books. I hope they reconsider.

says:

Saffron, iÂ´m with you, cuaron should make the final movie.

And NOT Yates.
The only movies he made before HP, were tv episodes and short films.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0946734/
And of its not cuaron, someone else should make it, but NOT Yates
The 5th film is full with flippancy
And I donÂ´t think that Yates is able to bring out the tragedy and the menance of the 7th Book.
Harry Potter is NOT a film about teenager-Love, but yates believs that.
He says he will make a sex,drugs and rock n roll film, out of the 6th book, but thats not okay.
And he should cooperate with JKR, what he has not done for the 5th film.

says:

As a continuation to my post yesterday.
i’ve been thinking over night and a few name poped into my head, so here they are:

Tony Gilroy- has anyone watched Michael Clayton or the Bourne movies? All are great movies. Truthfully i would have gotten Tony to write the seventh movie script as well as direct it. Mm he is a good writer.

The coen Brothers- strange right but Iâ€™m thinking if they do decide to do a two part movie each of the brothers can direct one of the parts, and the coens are brilliant film makers any how.

George Clooney- alright donâ€™t laugh, it may seem like a stranger choice then the coens but I really believe he can do this. If any one watched Confession Of a dangerous Mind and GN&GL they will understand what Iâ€™m saying. the problem here is that I donâ€™t think he will ever do it, nor do I think WB will chose him for it. Sad though I really do love the movies his directed so far.

Stephen Gaghan- has any one watched syriana or traffic? (well if your over 17 you must if you havenâ€™t you should itâ€™s a masterpiece) He wrote them both and also directed syriana. He really is a great filmmaker. And like tony I would chose him to both write and direct the movie.

Will I ever get my wish? I douth it, but alas a girl can dream.

says:

I still want Cuaron back :( Though Yates did do a good job with OotP, but I still loved Cuaron’s direction of PoA. Also, Yates really shortens movies, so IF Hallows is not split into two, I’m wondering how he’s going to pack the whole thing into less than two hours.

says: PEOPLE!..........I dont’ know why are you so against Kloves! And I keep reading about SUPER HERMIONE! Hermione in the movies is so much “softer” than Hermione in the books. In the books she is SUPER HERMIONE!!!! and in the films-so not!!! they have to SUPER her in the films! so I dont’ know what’s the problem?!!!!!!
IT seems that we are 50/50-Cauron/Yates. Yates already did 2 HP so Cauron should do the DH. POA was really the best directed,and you all complaine about the acting! That’s not Caurons fault!!!!!!! Dan,Rupe and Emma were very little then. But now they are real actors and with Cauron they will make the best film!!!!!!!!!

GO ALFONSO!

and people….believe me because I’m goona be director one day and I know what I’m talking about.

says:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone WW Gross $976.5
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix WW Gross $938.5
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire WW Gross $896.0
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets WW Gross $879.0
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban WW Gross $795.5

I think the above will influence WB decision.

says:

marth-I think you totally missed the point of what Yates says he is doing and you are taking it[Yates comments about sex,drugs and rock and roll ] too litterally-it is still a film for the family and a related JKR film but given that remember—aren’t there potions in the books that control people (as do drugs) and the kids are no longer children but are controled by hormonal angst and those thoughts-which doesn’t mean it is going to be all shown-get real this is a family film but has
to be shown from these young wizards true point of view.

I am SO glad Yates may be the one to complete these films.He is THE first director who actually brought “realism” to the films -into a fantascy world[the way del Toro did with Pan’s Laberith ] -and made them[OOTP] look like a film and not a play set to film-like all the other HP were.He is concentrating not only on the action but is giving the narative and character study the attention is deserves to show the story JKR created. He is also a actor’s director—which is what these last films need .

says:

you know what? everyone on here complaining about directorial choices two years in advance will never be happy with the film, no matter who directs it. it seems like there’s a whole slew of people on here that just want to complain and argue all the time. those people will probably hate the movie, no matter what, just because they want to hate it. and frankly all the negative energy flying around is irritating beyond belief.

i hope that none of the directors criticized on this site would have to be bothered to read any of the negative posts… posts made by wannabe film critics who just spout off as if no one else has a valid opinion…

says:

I swear if Yates is the director who is choosen for Deathly Hallows I will cry. He did a horrible job with OOTP and he will destroy Deathly Hallows I think Alfonzo or somone new should do the last movie!!!

says:

yah that whole sex,drugs and rock and roll is a figure of speech. Daniel said himself if you recall that this movie gets even darker than the fifth ever was, I believe even the producers hinted at that saying it definetly travels into alot darker territory. And if you have read the book you will know that alot of it is hormonal stuff but dark stuff too. The sneak peeks show that there will be some of the dark stuff and so do the casting – what would death eaters have to do with hormones?

says:

well said jeff- I back you all the way on that , its nice to know someone has feelings on these boards.

says:

WOOHOO! THEY ARE MAKING FILMS OUT OF MY FAVOURITE BOOKSERIES!

(a lot of people keep forgetting how lucky we are with this in the first place.)

says:

Do you all really hate OoTP that much? I thought it was the most rewatchable of all the movies. While yes, I agree that it should have been a longer movie. I think that what was in the movie though was spot on what should have been in there. And for those of you who think that Cauron would be a better choice, I don’t know if you’ve thought it through. While I did like the POA. I still think that it’s rather choppy, and the scenes are rushed. Personally I would like to see Newell return. But if Yates gets it, I will not be disappointed. As long as he makes it the longest movie in the series.

says:

No. David Yates is good. But we need someone GREAT for “Deathly Hallows” and that someone is Alfonso Cuaron.

says:

no. not yates. why did he change the look of the dementors? I think newell or cauron would be a better choice.

says:

He was awful with OOTP! You could go to sleep in that film. GOF was poorly directed as well, with the director ruining Gambon. Cuaron made him as he should be, Yates just made him dead boring. He cares more about stupid emotinal dialouge then funny or even relevent speech. Cuaron was the best he made the films more than just a childrens film.

says:

Me personally, I’m not going to fully judge Yates till HBP comes out, but, by then he could already be signed on, and be more than half way through pre-production on DH. But, I am quite appealed to there being a new director. It’s been that way throughout the whole series, no director has made more than two (and it’s only be Colombus who has done it, and that was the at the start of the series) I’m prob one of few fans who actually likes all books that have been made so far. Even though I do grumble about certain things being left out, or not fully explained. I still enjoy them for what they are, entertainment.

says:

I was sad when I left the theater after watching OoTP. I couldn’t wait to see all my favortive HP actors again. It was like some of them weren’t even in the movie. Hagrid has hardly any lines. Madeye moody, tonks( you didn’t even really get to know her character) lupin, even ron and hermoine didn’t seem to have a lot of lines. I understand you can’t put the whole 5th book into one movie, but don’t change thinks in the movie that wasn’t in the book. My friends that haven’t read the books( which is a shame) had trouble following the movie. I hope to connect more with the characters in the 6th movie.

says:

I agree with Halfmoon, the director ruined Gambon part. My family and I said the same thing after seeing GOF. I would like for his character to be more like dumbledore in the book. Patient, wise and yes funny!

says:

I am very disappointed because I was hoping Chris Columbus would be asked back. I enjoyed so much the first two in the movie series and I have always felt he should have never left….However, I know that when Chris left it was his choice because of committments to his family and him not wanting to give the franchise 10(+) years of his life. He had been commuting back and forth to london from Los Angeles for 4 years. As it was mentioned in an earlier comment, I think each Director is asked to stay on and if they decline David Heyman and the other Producers move on and select someone else so, it’s not surprising that if Yates has the energy and the will to continue that he will be allowed to. However, I totally disagree that Order of the Phoenix was a good movie? The editting was horrible and so much, too much was left out. Order should have worked as well as Chamber and Goblet if it was done right? Those two didn’t leave half the book on the cutting room floor?
Stephen

says:

Well said Stephen Johnson I couldn’t agree more!

says:

I would love a 2 part DH. It will be sad when it all ends. But you can always go back and reread the books and watch the movies over and over again. I also know they have to leave stuff out of the movie, but I wish they wouldn’t change things that happen in the book when they put it to film. You know when there’s scene where you go that never happen in the book or that didn’t happen that way. Oh, well they’re still great movies!

says:

I hate when people generalize and say everyone hates something!!

Some of US think OoTP was/is THE best film made from the HP books.

David Yates has been accusted hereof rearrangeing the story and cutting so much out .LOL!
What do you think Cauron and Newell did?The same thing-if not more .

Get over it ___it is a film(s) not a book.
Books are more carebryal (more can be shown ,left to the imagination,and explained)and films are more visual(there is only so much time,most people are too impatient to set for long hours).

says:

NO! Dear God, no! I didn’t like the fifth film at all, and I don’t want more Yates. Please, Cuaron, come back!

says:

U know what? all the people that say negative comments are very very narrow minded and well stupid!!! sorry but hey SEPERATE URSELVES FROM THE BOOKS FRO PETE’S SAKE!!! I mean the movies are one thing different from the books and JK knows of course what is on and what is out of the script or else fleur, bill , the gaunts and the mirror would have been in the script but maybe she saw they weren’t going to add up in the plot and they being cut out of the movies won’t influence it!!!Personnaly i love David Yates he made OOTP real and also it was short it stuck to the plot and that is that magic was forbidden he got the acting skills to a whole new level and got the dark side of the story even more!!! SO BOOKWORMS OPEN UR MINDS AND SEE HARRY POTTER IN SOMETHING OTHER THAN JUST A PLOT THAT U HAVE TO SEE IT BY LETTER AND SPEECH AND EVERYTHING SEE IT BY A WHOLE NEW DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW!!! sorry if i offended anyone but u make me mad and angry coz these guys know what they are doing otherwise the Harry Potter series wouldn’t have been the most successful franchise WB has ever adapted adn i hope that some of you would chill out a little and enjoy the movies as they are and away from the books!!!

says:

I think it would be terrific to have David Yates on board for Deathly Hallows movie! Consistency and thought process on a number of things for movies 6 & 7 are important and can only benefit the series.

says:

Thank you Alaa dear that was well said too. And Redbeard you and I seem to be on the same wave length – I was just thinking of how cool it was that these books got made into movies in the first place. I remember how excited I was when I heard that HP was going to be a movie. And for you complainers why do you think that the movies have generated the most successful movie franchise in movie history- I dont think it is curiosity, I think If we put our pride aside we know these movies are good adaptations other wise they wouldnt have that rightful title. For gods sake the passed 22 bond movies and all 6 star wars. made about 4 billion globaly. oh yah they’re terrible alright.

says:

The only movie I was truely upset about was POA. I blame a lot of that on the directer. I hated that I felt I was watching the actress Emma and not my beloved Hermione. I kind of feel that same way with Harry and Ron as well. I think Cauron was too focused on his vision of the story then to make sure the actors were their characters and not actors performing characters. Emma look over the film and it’s not because she’s the best actor of the trio-IMO anyway.

I also I find POA much more dark meaning lighting in the scenes then it is emotionally dark. I’ve rewatched the movie only 3 times-when GOF was released to theater and when OOTP was released to theater and to dvd.

I liked SS,COS and GOF because they were fun movies with just a hint of the darkness the story could have had. I was kind of disapointed that GOF was that way but I enjoyed it for what it was -a successer to the 1st two movies. SS&COS were kids books and movies and I pretty much got what I was expecting ( except for some of the visual affects).

I think OOTP was a little short and a bit rushed but I felt a emotional connections with the characters. Perhaps I loved this movie the most because I’m a tv lover and character emotions and growth are much more important IMO then getting the story to flow exactly right. I do think the greats do both though of course. If not Joss then Yates is okay with me. I think he nailed the getting the best performance from his actors of any of the HP directors.

says:

Hmm. It’s very interesting to me that the many of the people who are screaming that Yates “butchered” OotP, and that he took too many liberties and deviated too much from the books, are the same people who are insisting that Alfonso Cuaron has done the best job so far of directing an HP film, and that they desperately want him back (“We should start a petition to get Alfonso back!!!!” “GO ALFONSO!!!!”, etc.)

I find this to be the height of irony, considering that the film of PoA was, in many ways, VERY different from the book. HUGE chunks of the story were left out of that film (backstory of the Marauder’s Map, anyone?), and the characterizations of many key characters were, more than in any other film, VERY out-of-sync with their characterizations in the book. For example, Hermione being so fantastically acrobatic that she could deftly jump over the Whomping Willow’s swinging branches, and hold on, one-handed, as another branch swung her in a wide arc, and then with her other hand grab Harry from the ground and throw him directly into the Whomping Willow’s secret entrance! ::eyeroll:: For another example, Ron being utterly wimpy, when in the book he really shows quite a lot of courage. For yet another example, Lupin waxing ecstatic about how supremely wonderful Saint Lily was, while only saying one brief line about James being a troublemaker, even though it was James, and not Lily, who was Lupin’s good and loyal friend all through their schooldays.

Granted, much of the deviations in PoA were screenwriting decisions, and not anything that Alfonso Cuaron had much control over.

Nonetheless, I think it’s a bit rich that Cuaron’s fans seem to think the liberties taken in PoA were perfectly all right, considering the fact that they’re raking David Yates over the coals and calling him a “butcher” for the liberties taken in OotP. Especially since Cuaron deviated just as much, if not more, from the book than Yates did.

I guess this puts me in the David Yates camp. Well, not so much in the Yates camp as in the “Geez, stop vilifying Yates and sanctifying Cuaron already, people” camp.

says:

I wish there was some kind of edit button ;p I made a few spelling errors. For example….I meant to say Emma took over POA not look over.

says:

It saddens me that I’ve gotten to the pint where I don’t want to come back to Leaky because of some of the things everyone has written on these boards. I love Leaky, but I can’t stand some of the comments you all have written about the people in the HP franchise.

I urge you all to remember that while you see the movie as a whole and think only of the main people as those who work on it, go over to the IMDB page and click on the link that takes you to the entire cast page. Look at just how many people who are working on those films. Sit through the entire credits and look at just how many names roll past after they have finished the actors. Put in your DVD and take a look at how many minutes consume just the end credits. Order of the Phoenix had 24 people in their make-up department alone. And that was for live action make-up. Not CGI engineered effects. There were 14 people just in the Second Unit Directorial Department. Those are people who are just there as the SECOND UNIT to the director. Look at just how many departments there really are.

Take the time to really realize just how many people work on these films. And realize that only two people made the cut for writing credits. There is a STAFF of people who work on that script. I had a professor who did that for many years, writing and rewriting scripts for Paramount and Universal but never getting credit because he was just a staff writer and it was his job, he got paid, but not credited. You do things like rewrite Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, making it perfect and making sure it works, but you don’t get the credit.

Take the time to realize that David Yates did under no circumstance “BUTCHER” this film. He will not “BUTCHER” Half Blood Prince. And if you feel so strongly about this, don’t go see it.

But do us all a favor. Realize that you aren’t just attacking a name. You are attacking a person. You are attacking what he does for a living. You have never met David Yates and you don’t know how difficult his job is. Please remember these things the next time you decide to claim he has butchered Harry Potter.

says:

I have an idea, instead of complaining about who will direct the last movie. Why don’t we just say the director that we think would be best equiped for the task at hand. They could be an old fav. Or someone fresh. Because you know that the producers of the films look at sites like Leaky to know what the fans want to see. Even if they don’t always heed our imput.

says:

Please dont go Beckett I understand you – and I understand what it must take to make a movie that is why I hate critics when they slam down a perfectly good movie- I think they just do that because it is not to their minds expectations. People need to look beyond their own horizons- but dont go because of them were better than that. But like I HAVE MENTIONED FOR THE 100th TIME – why if you hate these movies people do you see them and why are they so successful. Geez new fantasy films are compared to them they are so good.

says:

I find myself agreeing most of all with everything Beckett has said. THanks for the comments and please know that u are not alone in ur thoughts. There are others who think very much like you.

Redbeard and Monica make some accurate statements as well. Thanks guys for your input. I think all of us need to realise just how lucky we are to get to see our beloved series being brought to the silver screen.
Lets not get bogged down by the nitty-gritty and lose sleep over it.

says:

Now that I’ve said that. I think that Christopher Nolan could do the job. Has anyone seen the Prestige or Batman Begins? Those are nice and dark.

says:

Sadly Nolan- complaining usually goes with suggestions around here- example- Naomi Watts should be Narcissa not that ugly Helen McCrory!
see they dont go hand in hand people have to shoot someone down while their at it- must be fun for them. Helen is the best person by the way , I dare anyone to contradict me , I hope we are beyond that stupid issue. If people dont know about a makeup department of a movie set then something is wrong.

says:

And yes, please Beckett, dont abandon the forums. We need people like you on board. I can honestly say its a pleasure reading posts from people like you.

says:

Beckett, please please please stay. I think your feelings are more widely shared by other Leaky visitors than the comments often reflect. I, for one, frequently find myself nodding enthusiastically and thinking, “Yeah, what he said” when I read your posts.

says:

HOORAY!

Please God let this be true-also please bring back Michael Goldenburg-or at least combo of him and Kloves. No more Kloves solo.

says:

Why do proper breaks mean crossout? Frustrating…

says:

This is great news as he has done a fantastic job to date but PLEASE insist on keeping to the book as it is so important to this time . If this DOESN’T happen there will be so many disappointed people myself for one so please please David do this for us. Please insist on Dobbie and Kreacher to be kept in it as they are just as important in the books as are ALL the other characters DON’T LEAVE ANYONE OUT I’M SURE OTHER FANS WILL AGREE Make Deathly Hallows the film of the century YOU CAN DO IT DAVID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

says:

It may be Yates again, it may be a brand new director… I really don’t care. Just please….oh please…. don’t bring Columbus back.
I don’t think I could stand there and see the final shot of Deathly Hallows with Harry hugging Ginny, saying “there is no Hogwarts without you Ginny” and everybody around applauding. That was weird enough with Hagrid in Chamber of Secrets.

Columbus did a pretty solid job opening the saga…. let’s leave it at that.

says:

Yeah, I know BellaSnape. But I was kind of hoping that they weren’t all so petty and childish. But it’s nice to know that someone out there hears me. Even if they don’t care what I’m saying. Alan Rickman ROCKS!!!!!!!!

says:

Thanks Bellasnape and Vineeth, good to read there are still some people with some sense out there. I’m biting my fingers of because I’m angry and I want to contradict a lot of things people are saying here, but I’m not going to do it!
Everyone has got there own opinion, and apparently want’s to force them on people. The problem is that when a lot of people say that something or someone sucks, at some point your going to believe it. I really like the potter films, all of them (allthough I’ve got my favourites) and all this b*tching is making me doubt about the quality of the films to come. When did we stop looking forward to a new potter-film?

says:

By the way, I’m sorry if my English isn’t always correct. I’m from Holland. (But the potter-films learned me a lot!)

says:

Redbeard and Nolan, Glad I could help ya – I am always here. And yes Alan Rickman does rock- guess who’s birthday is tommorow?

says:

I’m a believer in people having their opinion and expressing it. If it’s said sensible and not cruel, then cool, go ahead and tell us. So I’m talking to both sides of the argument on Yates performance, don’t get too personal about it.

says:

YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!!!!!! I really hope this is true!! It would be freakin amazing if Yates decided to do the last film. I think a director who’s already directed one of the films should do it because they will put more heart into it, David Yates is perfect because he’s formed such a close bond with alot of the cast and crew and you can tell he puts his heart into films and he also gets the best performances out of the actors he works with. Dan, Rupert, Emma, Evanna, Matt, Imelda, etc. All of their acting was awesome in movie 5 and I’m sure Yates had alot to do with that.

says:

Well, I’m glad I’m not in the minority. It’s just simply frustrating! (thanks for all the love, by the way :) )

I hope we can all just enjoy HBP (I’m certainly excited and can’t wait!) and I’d love to see an already contracted director keep on the project.

Whether or not David Yates stays on with the series, (which to me would be perfectly fine. I think he did a fabulous job). I think it will be offered to a previous director and we will more likely than not see a previous director returning than having a new one brought on board. Given that it is the final film, I think not only Warner Bros. but JK Rowling would prefer to have someone who has worked with the Trio (and the rest of the youngest members of the new OOTP) as well as the other adults. I can see it being offered to Columbus before it being offered to AC. If only to have a nice “book end” feeling to it, and because he’s done two films. I personally don’t see AC or Newell coming back.

But hey, for me, it’s Harry Potter. And I’ll be there no matter what. Because I love me some HP.

says:

I hope Yates does it. I honestly love the Harry Potter series and the films are great! But a huge negative quality of the film series for me was lack of continuity and that’s because of all the different directors. Plus, I like Yate’s style, so Yates all the way for me! Maybe even Goldenberg’s ..umm… lack of “it” with HP scripts… will be better under Yates’ direction.

says:

I just have to say, people can have their opinions, and it is kind of childish to try to get people to not speak their mind about something, negative or otherwise, by saying that you won’t come on here anymore.

Those who like Yates accuse those who would rather someone else of bashing him and forgetting he is a person. No, they know he is a person but they just think, for many various reasons, that he and his coworkers who made the big decisions about the film did not bring it up to the standard previously set by the other movies.

Now I understand it is not all Yates’ fault, but I disagree in the statement that somehow we should feel for everyone down to the makeup artists. These people, make-up, wardrobe, set, etc. all have to do their job according to what these higher powers decide; for instance, it was Curon who made the decision to put the kids in plain clothes through most of the POA movie, not the wardrobe department.

And yes, Yates had writers to listen to, but he also had veto power once he was shooting. Now anyone who has read what Steve Kloves has said about how he writes his scripts knows that he in fact takes the whole thing on himself, so no, there really isn’t a team, he’s got a proofreader and a fact checker. I have no idea if the guy who wrote OOP was the same, perhaps he did use a team.

I think a lot of the issues brought up here, and yes I have read everyone’s posts, are not actually with the books, people are not saying he “butchered” the books, they are saying he allowed the movie to be rushed and edited horribly, in a new cinematic “style” which the editor that was chosen by the director and producers was known for. The editor they hired is known in the business for his “choppy” style. They made the decision for OOP to come out that way.

You can agree with that or not. But we’re not being negative about Yates as a person or any of the other people who directed previous films, we do not know them nor can we, we only have their films and our opinions about those films, which is what people are either agreeing with style wise or not.

I haven’t heard many people say Yates in a horrible person, they say he has done (in their opinion) a horrible job, the job you do does not equal the person you are.

I do not like to be told my opinion is harmful simply because I disagree with a job someone did, nor do I like to be told “if you don’t like it well then just don’t go see them”. No, I am a fan (just like all of you) of the books and the first 4 movies and I will go and see the next ones because I can, and I want to see some vestage of the world I cherish that JK created.

People are picking sides here and fighting over them like they knew the people involved personally, taking personal offense for them, that is the way of our world is these days. People have the right to like or dislike anything that they experience, and they have the equal right to express that in a forum such as this. Please do not tell those who disagree with you to feel bad for their opinion, as we are not doing that to you.

says:

P.S: If someone needen’t come back to direct hp7 it is Mike Newell… Gosh he destroyed GoF! Those who liked it probably did because of its plot. Seriously if it didn’t have underwater scenes, dragons, creepy possesed mazes, etc. it would’ve been a completely dissapointing film in my opinion. So rushed, the acting wasn’t top notch… I think the trio was even better in PoA than in GoF. So if my opinion is worth anything, please don’t even consider Newell. I mean at least not for HP…

Sorry I just needed to vent. And that’s my vent for Tday! Have a wonderful day now! :D*

says:

@ Freya, I hate to break it to you but we only said that they should not see the movies anymore because the kept complaining about petty things- in a truely childish way- no one wants to hear that, like beckett and redbeard, me and others have said if you are going to watch these movies you need to open your minds. Posting and bashing someone is completely different and you dont have the right to bash someone or be rude whether you are expressing an opinion or not.

says:

BellaSnape, you say Freya (or people in general) “dont have the right to bash someone or be rude whether you are expressing an opinion or not” but you begin your own post in a pretty rude way. ”@ Freya, I hate to break it to you but…” sounds a bit hostile, don’t you think? Also, why can’t people complain in childish ways? Heck probably half the people on here are children or children at heart

says:

no! my message got cut in half! It ended:

look at my awesome smiley with a wizard’s hat! C’mon people loosen up and have a bit more ‘nitwit’, ‘oddment’, ‘blubber’ and ‘tweak’ and then complain some more “because we can, can, can!! HAHA!

says:

This HTML is getting on my nerves!

says:

I agree with Fil, honestly, no one can tell anyone they can or cannot say something about anyone in this discussion board, unless they threaten them or use swear words. If I was not allowed to say what I have said, the moderators of this page would refrain me from speaking further.

Frankly Bella, you simply repeated what I was basing my point on, that people have the right to their opinions even when you disagree with them. You may see what people have said as “bashing” Yates, and some people have been crude, on both sides of it actually, and a lot of people have indeed bahaved quite childishly, by SCREAMING IN CAPS LOCK at the rest of us about how angry they are.

I am an adult, who writes with dignity, and who also happens to feel that I disliked a movie. I want to talk about it with people on here, whether they agree with me or not. This is a forum where people exchange ideas, and honestly if it were a forum where everyone agreed it would be quite dull.

People are allowed to praise or bash, like or dislike, and express these opinions and feelings about this matter. It does however difficult the matter when people start stomping their feel like a 4 year old screaming at you to “stop it! stop it! stop it!” like we’re saying mean things about their daddy! Those people (and in fact yourself Bella) have become a little too involved in doing exactly what you accuse the other side of, trying to force your opinion down the other side’s throats.

I cannot tell you not to speak your mind on this forum, no matter what opinion you have, and you likewise have no right to tell me because my opinion counters yours that I am bashing someone and thus have no rights. Those are not the rules of the real world, nor are they the rules of the online world either.

says:

Beckett, I’m here to offer some more love and my thanks for being the voice of reason. Honestly, yesterday I was bemoaning the lack of reasoned discussion, about another topic, and I found it so refreshing to hear your point of view, which is positive, helpful, reasonable, truthful and calm. Reasoned discussion does exist! Sure, everyone has a right to an opinion, but it need not be expressed with such sneering hatefulness.

I’m so grateful for these books, the author, the movies and the great job everyone does in keeping the spirit of Harry alive. I love it.

says:

Oh no. Not again….

says:

excuse me but I have included myself in saying that I am a part of this childish stuff – maybe I didnt admit it in my last post but I have plenty of times. I am not trying to lecture anyone or sway anyone into believing one side or another, I just think it is rediculous to sit and bicker back and forth back and forth , acting conceitedly about your thoughts- yes I know alot of people on hear are children at heart – I am one of them- I highly doubt there are children on here , that is nothing but an excuse to agrue it sounds like. Besides the Harry Potter series is no longer considered childrens fantasy. I am done now – I have no more to say about this, I myself am talking to a wall.- so it seems. thanks those who understand my real point.

says:

What I ment was that mr. Yates has a different style of film making then the other directors so far. Sorry David Y., I just liked the old style better.

says:

Sorry. I wasn’t talking about the previous person’s comment I just was saying I wasn’t used to yates lingo.

says:

Yates all the way!! I’m not going to get my hopes up too much because this isn’t really a secure statement. It hasn’t been confirmed by Warner Bros. so I’m not going to believe it too much. But if the cast knows that Yates is going to do it then it would explain why Dan seemed so upset when the press asked him about Speilberg. Dan is a very big fan of Yates, so are all the actors, which I think is the most awesome thing about Yates. He gets along with the Crew and the Cast so well.

says:

I don’t care one jot if people want to say they loved PoA and/or Cuaron, and disliked OotP and/or Yates. OF COURSE everyone is entitled to their opinion.

No, what I think is ridiculous is the extremism of some of these comments (and in fairness, it’s been on both sides… though I frankly think it’s been much more evident on the pro-Cuaron side than the other). The praise of Cuaron was being taken to the point of groveling, toe-licking hero worship, while the criticism of Yates was being taken to the point of vilification. This was especially ironic to me in view of the fact that one of the major complaints of the pro-Cuaron folks against Yates (namely, that he deviated too much from the book) is also an accusation that could be leveled against Cuaron ten-fold.

A little more fairness and moderation is what I’d like to see. That’s all I’m saying.

says:

Monica, you got something against foot fetish?

LOL!!!

“toe-licking hero worship” Hwahahahaha!

says:

LOL! Nothing at all against foot fetishes, Felipe! Just unreasonable extremism. ;)

says:

You have a good point beckett, I do think Jo would prefer if the director was someone who the actors have worked with once at least. It brings some comfort onto the sets and also, the director would know the strengths and weaknesses of every actor and extract the best performances out of them.
But somehow, I really can’t see Columbus directing such a dark film. The first two were still kiddy and cute, but this one is real war zone.
I had no real problem with OotP maybe the length, which I felt was really short, considering the size of the book, but it was one of the best movies in the series after PoA (for me). But yeah, having said that, Yates was a new director at the time of OotP, let’s just wat for HBP to come out, because I think having become more familiar with the actors and characters, he’ll do better with HBP…

says:

NO!!! leave my harry alone!!!! go bother some other literary work!

we got rumors of cuaron, del torro, and spielberg, and i started getting so excited abut this movie. but if yates comes back again, i think i’ll cry.

says:

I’ve loved all the movies so far and have been disappointed with some things in all of them, but the one I re-watch the most is OotP. It is a wonderfully filmed and acted movie and IMO keeps almost everything it needs to keep in (and most of what is not there can easily be added to HBP now that they have the end of the story; people need to remember that it was made before we knew where the story was taking us). I do find it funny those who complain about the script for it, though. I re-read OotP a week or so back and having seen the movie countless times now I can tell you that a good deal of the dialogue is word for word from the book.

I will be really happy if Yates does DH; he is the director I most like the style of in the HP franchise so far. I think he did an awesome job with the actors and the filming and I can’t wait to see HBP. But if we get one of the old directors I’m Ok with that too. I just hope we don’t get someone completely new.

says:

What it really comes down to is not the fact that you can’t express your opinion. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t feel that expressing your opinion was a crime. Heck, I wouldn’t be in the film business if I felt expressing your opinion wasn’t allowed. That’s what the entire business is about. The main point is that you can’t simply look at the film as something made by JKR, the one writer, Yates, a single editor and the actors. Its simply illogical. You have to look at every single part and respect them. To make a statement that we shouldn’t respect every section and give them credit, quite frankly makes me ill. Each and every member of those crews puts their entire beings into those films. The point I was trying to make was that despite what you may or may not have thought about any of the last five films, whether you loved them all or disliked parts of them, you have to remember that it isn’t just a handful of people, it’s a huge enormous gigantic amount of people, that only keeps growing with every film.

Kloves wrote the script, yes. He did. I’ll give him that. But that doesn’t mean he is the only person who worked on it. It’s just the bottom line. It’s the way the business works. I’m working on a script right now and I know the second I submit it to any company, if I’m lucky enough for it to be picked up, it’ll be picked apart and chewed up by a bunch of other staff writers who, will keep my work in tact but change bits and pieces of it. They are technically yes, proofers, fact checkers, what ever you’d like to call them. But they also sit there with the script for days and may change lines, full paragraphs of dialogue, etc. Kloves gets the final say, but it does get passed around. With a franchise like HP, its just a lot more hush hush.

Editing is also not a one man gig. With the way technology is now, there are several different sub categories for editing. I was in a meeting a few months ago and informed that I need to “pick a subcategory to focus on” when going after jobs because there are so many.

The point I was trying to make was that we need to look at the film in its entirety, not as just a work that David Yates is doing. David Yates puts a lot into it, yes. I’m not denying that. He brings on his own crew, yes. But they are skilled, they know what they are doing.

I’m fine with people expressing their opinions. Rock on with that. Heck I express mine. But just remember that you are attacking someone’s work and while trying to express your opinion please do so respectfully. If it would upset you that David Yates would be coming back to direct Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, that’s cool. I wouldn’t be thrilled if say…Mel Gibson directed it (I just picked a random director that I don’t particularly like his style, this is NOT a rumor). Just make your opinion heard in a non threatening, not so angry way, because it’s obviously upsetting other people. We can all strive for that. That’s how good debates are made. Not with people screaming at each other, but with good points made by either side.

So rock out with the opinions, just keep them civil and every one will be chill.

says:

I agree with beckett. We can all have different opinions but so long as we repect each other we’ll all have a good time. I often hope that people who make these movies don’t read these boards because if it were me I’d be devastated by some of the things that are said. Now there are parts of all the movies that I don’t like (for example the long dragon scene in GoF) but I’m not about to say that the whole movie is a disaster based on one scene I don’t like. I prefer OotP to the others, but I enjoy them all. I think overall we’ve been really lucky with how the series has been handled by WB, and I’m sure that no matter what they choose for the last one it will be just as good as the rest.

says:

I really hope he comes back for DH!

says:

noooooo… for the love of god …. noooooooooo

hmmm…

come to think of it… its ok with me… maybe i overeated a bit :)

says:

YES!!! bring it on David Yates!

says:

I’m sure I heard in the past, that Kloves works on set, while filming is going on. So he’s there to do any changes with the director, producer etc. Which was a reason why he didn’t do OotP. He wanted a break, to do his own thing.

says:

It’s kind of funny. Different people give the same critisism to different movies. POA, GOF and OOTP have all been accused of bad plotting, a chopt up feel, bad characterisations and bad directing. (I wonder who is right?)

I’m changed my mind, I’m going to give my opinion too.

Columbus: The story didn’t flow well, he had no visual style, the camarawork was boring, the acting wasn’t allways that good. I do think he created a stable foundation for the future installments. They shouldn’t bring him back, because it would be a step backwards.

Newell: Chopped up feel, sometimes bad characterisations (example: dumbledore), music not so good (that’s not Newell fault, I know), beautiful visual style, even though I liked that of Cuaron better, because it was less static. And I acuse Newell of not actually liking or understanding the Potter-books that much.

Yates: Has a real passion for the books and there characters, great acting, very subtle, better music than GOF (more whimsical and jazzy), good characterisations, great lighting and visual style, that really fitted the story, a bit too short, still felt a bit chopped up. I’m not sure if he’s good for DH, because I’m not sure if he could give it an epic feel.

There you go, reactions please.

says:

David Yates is going to direct the final HP movie as well? Say it ain’t so!!
SAVE DEATHLY HALLOWS!!!

I have enjoyed every HP movie up until the latest. I really felt Yates took a lot of cheap shortcuts in the film and I also thought he did NOT do a good job of directing his actors. He misused a lot of talent and make the film the most schlocky of the entire series. I was bummed to hear that Yates was going to direct Half-Blood Prince, and now he's got his fingers on the last one? There goes my enthusiasm for these movies down the drain... I am really, really not happy to hear this. :-(

says:

Am I in the minority here by wishing that almost anyone but Yates directed the last film? I find OOTP almost unwatchable due to the rapid scene cuts and the amount of info left out .
What bugs me the most is that several action sequences are completely omitted or drastically reduced. Who does that in blockbuster fantasy movies?

says:

david did a terrible job on the fifth film so i hope they get a different director!!!!!!!!

says:

Yes, let’s keep the director that cuts all the scenes the fans would love to see, and who belives that no Harry Potter fan is able to sit through a movie that’s longer than two hours. The only director worse for the job would be Spielberg.

YES! If it were Alfonso Cuaron or Tim Burton, I would not see the film. But I love what David Yates did with OOtP and can’t wait for HBP.

I hope this is true!

says:

Every opinion is going to be taken as offensive and disrespectful if it is seen as counter to your own. This is the issue with typing, you can’t know the tone of the other person, unless of course they scream at you in caps. It feels like if you’re saying you disliked OOP you are labelled an “extremist” and mean, but if you say you liked it you’re okay, because at least you’re being nice.

So in response to you Beckett, I will say that although I think the actors were dressed and made up well, they spoke clearly sound wise, the scenes were shot wonderfully, and their acting was grande, I personally feel that no matter how wonderful a job the crew did with their tasks, the end product of the OOP moive, that I watched in my local theatre, displeased me greatly.

Now I wouldn’t have wanted to say that everyone on and involved with the entire movie did a bad job with it in my opinion, and so I decided, out of respect for all of those other people who worked on it, to focus on those involved in the final issue of the film that I saw, mainly the director, producers and editors, and many others whose posts I don’t know and thus couldn’t reference, as those who were responsable not for a bad job in my opinion in making the film as a whole, but with the form which it was released in.

No one is trying to attack Mr. Yates personally nor dicredit anyone else’s job on the film, they are simply trying to state, without getting too technical, their opinion about the film that he made, and since most regualr people don’t have the time to make sure they credit everyone who had a part in it in their complaint, they simply choose to name the figurehead of the project as responsable.

Yates, as figurehead, is thus involved in people’s attempt to express that they wish that the director and everyone involved in the filming of HBP will hopefully be able to take their time this time around. And since, I know people will simply talk over this and take it out of context like everything I have said, I’m going to change my mind and say that people probably shouldn’t express their opinions in this kind of forum, since someone always wants to make a fight out of it, and I simply do not have the time.

But I must add, just as a point of fact to you Bella, many of the people on here are in fact teenagers, who, in some cultures (although apparently not so much in America) are considered children. I personally am 26, and I was a child (as in teenager) when HP first came out and I began reading, and whether or not it is for children or ever was is really not the issue here.

If you are a child at heart, I’m glad for you, and I do say that respectfully. I personally came on looking to express my feelings and hear feedback, and found myself, as I aways seem to on here, instantly attacked. Not just by you, but by everyone who felt the opposite, it was like people were coming on to say no, and some simply to say yes to this issue, but others, perhaps more emotionally involved in the matter, began trying to defend Yates as if people were on here conspiring to kill him.

This brings me to my final point, everyone in this particular forum has exhausted everything we can say, and we are all just repeating ourselves to try and make sure that our points aren’t misunderstood. This cannot be done, since someone is always going to take something I or anyone else has said the wrong way. So I move that we all just know that our opinions are our own, value them as our own and move on to the next topic.

So what did everyone think about that Lunar eclipse last night? Pretty cool wasn’t it?

says:

Ugh…Yates did a lousy job with 00TP, this would be terrible news. He’d do Deathly Hallows in one 2 hour movie.

says:

NOOOOOOO! It has to be Cuaron! Yates is too muggle! This is so depressing.

says:

This is my feelings on each movie and why I think Cuaron would be far better than Yates, and also why I would not mind a Yates and Cuaron team, I really think that would be the best and the movie in two films.

1: PoA. I love the way PoA was done. It was the movie that came the closest to having the same feel and tone as the books. The cinematography was right on and it really felt like Hogwarts. It was rich with emotion and action, without overdoing either one. It was the only movie that mirrored J.K.’s sense of whimsical fun and eccentric twists. It also kept true to J.K.’s theme of depth within emotional ties between families, parents and friends. The flow was also very smooth. I’m one of the people who think every HP movie should follow the book exactly, even if it took two movies per book. PoA, like all the rest do not follow the book exactly, but I feel it kept the right stuff, more importantly the FEEL. I also felt the actors were more in character. The music was well done and the Hogwarts uniforms felt more authentic. I also prefer the fair-isle sweater look to the American t-shirt look for the HP movies. I love the English and magical feel. It wasn’t trying to please a muggle audience.

2: OotP. The Weasley exit scene…I loved it. I felt some of the fun was brought back and it was a huge improvement on GoF, and in many ways an excellent job. A little too much Umbridge for me, but once again in fairness, she did such a great job I can see why they went overboard. The Department of Mysteries scene was very well done, but could have made a bigger deal in music and climax when the staff come through the fireplaces and saw Voldemort. The possession part at the end between Dumbledore, Voldemort and Harry was awesome. Overall, I think it was a very good movie. My big complaint is it did not feel like Hogwarts or part of a magical world, it felt like some muggle dorm in a muggle city where magic happens to take place. Too fast, too slick.

3: SS. The first two movies (SS and CoS) also had the feel of the books in places, and a far better Dumbledore, but a little too cheesy aiming for the kiddy market, it lost some depth. The art of making movies, like dance, art or literature is its own separate medium of expression. Let’s face it nothing tops the books, but the movies should use their medium to produce at the very least the feel and atmosphere of the Harry Potter books, which I feel was better done in SS than in GoF, or even OotP at times. I just can’t get over the silly kiddie moments that are so slapstick and overdone. Kids that read Harry Potter don’t even seem to be into that kind of entertainment. The soundtrack really rocks in SS and the kids are actually more endearing and believable in SS. They get a little cocky after GoF. They were not the hip kids in school. Harry in his baggy clothes and sweet ways is just more Harry. I’m also a sap for Hagrid, love the sappy Hagrid scenes, so flog me.

Tied for #4: CoS. CoS shares the above mentioned positives with SS. My problem with CoS is all the “Home Alone” screaming, and way too long car scenes. The part where Harry almost falls out of the car is obnoxious. The snake fight is too long and the Dobby and Dursley thing is just vaudeville boring. I love seeing the Weasley house, it was almost how I saw it in my head. The duel was pretty cool, liked the table. I love when Snape gets sassy.

Fleur, I’m with you on much of what you say, bar some minor details. POA is also my favourite followed by OotP.

I liked what you said about ‘feel’ being what is needed for films to be ‘true’ to the books. Never mind changes to details, every film has made changes of equal magnitude; I don’t know why people target POA in particular. I personally found that book quite dull (esp the overlong shrieking shack scene) and thought most of the changes in the film were an improvement. I think both POA and OotP got close to the ‘feel’ of the books (OotP was my favourite book btw) and they are also the most ‘filmic’.

I’ve liked every HP film done so far. I have a different one to suit different moods, which is great. Naturally, there are things that I haven’t liked with each one, eg the excruciatingly corny ending of COS, the Buckbeak ‘Titanic’ impression in POA, preGrimmauld Place in OotP (it may grow on me in time). The major change I forgive least is GOF attack at QuidditchWC. But none of those things affect my overall enjoyment or my preferences.

says:

I am with you Readbeard totally with you!!!:D:D

says:

As long as we keep Alfonso Cuaron as far away as possible from that movie set, I’m cool. Those little “artistic” scenes were too much for me to take. PoA was 100% off base.

The longer and closer to the book the better. This movie needs to be perfect!

says:

If this is true, will definitely not see the seventh movie. Or the sixth, for that matter. Well, maaaybe I’ll catch them on netflix or something.

I guess David Yates wouldn’t be so bad if the pacing wasn’t so terrible. What was with all the long awkward pauses in the OOTP? Is was unwatchable to me, and I only saw it once. As far as I’m concerned if Yates is the director there is nothing HPish to look forward to anymore. :( Sad.

says:

HOOORRAY! ! ! Please make it true, please make it true. David Yates is the best HP director (as his work in OotP). DH in two part film? hhmmnn I’d rather go for 4hours

says:

Holly, making a movie as long an acurate to the book as possible, doesn’t make it a good movie. Movies and books are completely different mediums. After five movies you should know that.

says:

K….DON’T CARE AS LONG AS THAT THE MOVIE WILL BE OVER 3 HOURS AND CONTAINS ALL THE FIGHTING SCENES AND THE SUSPENSEFUL SCENES AND DOBBY AND KREACHER….PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH AND UH, I’D LIKE JOHN WILLIAMS TO MAKE THE MUSIC AGAIN PLEASE..HIS WORK IN THE 3RD FILM IS AMAZING I KEEP LISTENING TO IT!!!!

says:

YES YES YES The best director for the final movie (movies ? Maybe a two parter please) Curaron Ruined the POA for me and many others.

says:

As I see it, more people loved cuaron and want him back Kaye. I could say the same thing about Yates. A lot people thought OOTP was ruined too. (I don’t agree though, I thought it was really good)

says:

AAARRRGGGHHH !!!! No, please, no, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !

says:

David Yates is an exceptional director, however, I think that they should also get a new director for the last movie. Tim Burton would do wonderfully, from all the darkness that is in the film ,or Alfonso Cauron. But I would love to see Peter Jackson or Guillermo del Toro, who directed Pan’s Labyrinth and is coincidentally friends with Alfonso take the reigns. Those are my picks. Steven Speilberg would be good, but he decline directing the first one because he wanted to turn it into an animated movie, but thats just my opinion.

says:

I love the way David Yates makes Potter movies, so I hope he does Deathly Hallows. The only other director I’d be happy with, as somebody said in this post and as I too have said before, would be Tim Burton. He can make dark beautiful like no one else can, and I’ve yet to see one of his movies I didn’t love.

says:

AGAIN??
!NO NO NO NO NO NO NOOOOOOOOOOOOÂ¡
ONE…WAS.. OK
TWO.. WAS TO MUCHTHREE….....DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT ITÂ¡
PLEASE.. THE’RE ARE SO MANY DIRECTORS, WHY HIM???‘

says:

Oh thank goodness. I thought Curaron would come back and that worried me. Yates is the safest choice cause most fans seemed to like him overall.

says:

My god, not yates again! He ruined ootp..

says: The fifth movie is the worst of the lot and the third was the best!! You have a director who believes that Dumbuldore should bite nails, moving water and showing something in motion is cool!! I loved Book 6 & 7, think these will be the worst movies!!!